April 29, 2025 | 03:56 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti has voiced concerns regarding the current state of literacy among Indonesian children. He revealed that while 75 percent of 15-year-olds possess the ability to read, they lack an understanding of what they are reading.
"Their reading abilities fall below Level 2 of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) standard, which means they have difficulty in grasping the main ideas of a long text," stated Mu'ti during his address at the National Consolidation of Basic and Secondary Education 2025 held at PPSDM Kemendikdasmen, Depok, West Java, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Furthermore, Mu'ti disclosed that at least 82 percent of 15-year-old Indonesian children demonstrate mathematics skills below the expected standard, a situation mirroring their reading proficiency. "Our children's mathematical abilities are below PISA Level 2, meaning they struggle to apply mathematical concepts in everyday contexts," he explained.
He attributed this issue to disparities in learning outcomes across different regions, which is also a challenge for Indonesian education that requires a collective effort to address. Mu'ti emphasized the need for increased interventions to overcome various shortcomings, particularly in specific regions, especially those in eastern Indonesia.
"Regional governments play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of education in their respective areas," he asserted.
Separately, Bonnie Triyana, a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, previously raised concerns about the reading interest of the Indonesian population. He urged the National Library to implement concrete policies aimed at increasing public engagement with reading.
"The public's reading interest is very low, meaning that the National Library needs to have concrete policies to significantly improve this," Bonnie stated during a Commission X Hearing with the Head of the Indonesian National Library at the DPR Building on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
The low reading interest in Indonesia is further underscored by global literacy level measurements. According to UNESCO data, Indonesia's public reading interest is highly concerning, standing at a mere 0.001 percent. This implies that only one out of every 1,000 Indonesians is an avid reader. Paradoxically, Indonesia ranks higher than some European countries in terms of reading infrastructure.
To cultivate greater reading interest, Bonnie suggested that the public needs to be made aware of the diverse range of available reading materials and knowledge sources. Books are no longer limited to print but also exist in electronic formats (e-books), alongside journals and research findings accessible on various reliable platforms.
"Based on field observations, many regional libraries are neglected, indicating a lack of seriousness from the government in promoting public reading interest," Bonnie concluded.
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