Antara, Jakarta – The illiteracy rate in Indonesia continues to decline. Deputy of Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Atip Latipulhayat, said on Friday that over the past five years, Indonesia, through collective efforts, has successfully reduced the illiteracy rate to just 0.92 percent.

Atip added that this achievement is not the end, as there are still districts in Indonesia that require more serious efforts in eradicating illiteracy. "The government is committed to leaving no citizen behind," he said, as quoted by Antara.

Atip revealed that this year, International Literacy Day is being celebrated under the global theme "Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era."

According to him, this theme serves as a reminder to all Indonesians that literacy is not merely the ability to read and write, but rather the fundamental foundation for building an intelligent, independent, critical, productive, and inclusive society.

"Moreover, this theme is highly relevant to the rapid advancement of technology in the digital era, where we all recognize how fast technology is progressing. Therefore, digital literacy skills must be accompanied by the ability to use them positively in efforts to build civilization," Atip said.

He stressed that the government, through the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry, continues to strengthen policies and programs that promote literacy skills across the country, especially in regions that still face challenges of illiteracy and limited access to education.

One such initiative, he said, is the digitalization of education, which includes enhancing digital literacy skills through smart digital screens or interactive flat panels.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto said that the government would gradually provide smart digital screens in schools. "Even now, we have begun distributing them, but so far, only one smart digital screen per school. However, this year, we expect 330,000 schools to receive them," Prabowo said.

The provision of these learning tools is expected to improve the quality of education in schools and help address the shortage of teachers in certain regions.

The President also mentioned that the government would select 20 to 30 of the best teachers for each subject. They will later deliver lessons through live broadcasts from a central studio.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias-illiteracy-rate-falls-below-1-percen