Learning to Love Reading

Reading books is not a priority among Indonesians. A research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development noted that the interest level in reading among Indonesians is the lowest in East Asia. In fact, 34.5 percent of Indonesians are still illiterate and one reason for this is the unequal distribution of books. In an attempt to address this shortcoming, a few organizations have been busy distributing books to raise the level of reading interest of people throughout the country, using creative methods to instill and sustain their interest. The programs include telling stories and a reading competition. Follow the Tempo English Edition report on how the ‘learning to love reading’ program is progressing in South Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Bali.