More than 10 million Indonesian illiterate

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 09/08/2008 6:59 PM | National

As many as 10.16 million Indonesians, or 6.22 percent of the Indonesia population over 15 years old, are illiterate. The government has set a target to decrease this number to 7.7 million by the end of 2009.

"The target is six years sooner than that of the other UNESCO countries," said the Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo, as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com on Monday.

According to the minister, the number of people illiterate has gradually decreased from 15.4 million in 2004, 12.88 million in 2006 to 11.87 million last year. He added that the UNESCO
targeted a 50 percent decrease by 2015 from the number of illiterate in 2000.

"We're optimistic that it would be quicker. The government has allocated at least Rp 1 trillion (US$108 million) for this," he said.

Bambang said the literacy program was embedded to government's nine-year basic education program. He said that illiteracy was still abundant because many children drop out of school during their first three years of education.

Separately, State Minister for Women's Empowerement Meutia Hatta said there was still a higher number of illiterate women, 6.6 million of the total illiteracy number, as a result of gender inequality and poverty. (dre)

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