PADANGSIDIMPUAN Literacy is not just the ability to read, but the foundation of the nation's progress. Senior journalist who is also the General Chair of the Indonesian Cyber Media Network (JMSI) Teguh Santosa, conveyed the message clearly during a dialogue with students of SMPN 1 Padangsidimpuan, Friday, July 25.
He tweeted UNESCO data showing that Indonesia is in the group of countries with a very low level of reading interest of only 0.001 percent. This means that out of every 1,000 residents, only one has a high interest in reading.
"It's sad. But I believe you can prove otherwise," said Teguh, who is also a lecturer in international relations at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
According to him, apart from reading interest, what is no less important is the ability to fully understand the contents of reading. "That's the provision to become a leader of the future," he added.
Teguh mentioned that there is a lot of great potential in the classroom of SMPN 1 Padangsidimpuan. He saw potential engineers, members of the TNI-Polri, prosecutors, judges, and teachers who would educate the next generation. In fact, with a smile he asked, "Or does anyone want to be an astronaut?" Some students raised their hands shyly, greeted by applause.
Teguh shared his experience of visiting dozens of countries. From there, he concluded: the difference between developed and underdeveloped countries lies in the quality of the younger generation. "The fate of this nation is in your hands," he said.
The "JMSI Goes to School" program which was held was also attended by the ranks of the central and regional JMSI administrators, including the Daily Chairperson of the Central JMSI Ari Rahman, Chairman of the Central JMSI Organization Faisal Mahrawa, Chairman of JMSI North Sumatra Rianto, and Chairman of JMSI Tabagsel Yusrizal Ucok Nasution.
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The head of SMPN 1 Padangsidimpuan, Batras Lubis, welcomed the visit. He emphasized that his school continues to encourage wise students to use digital technology to support education.
"The collaboration of the world of education and media such as JMSI is very important in this era of information disruption," added Rianto, Chairman of JMSI North Sumatra. We want digital literacy and interest in reading the Indonesian people to continue to increase. he added.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
