How a Library Makeover Fostered a Love of Reading
The Indonesian education world is undergoing significant changes, particularly in developing quality facilities that support the improvement of students' literacy skills. A prominent example is the transformation that took place in one of the elementary schools in Jakarta, after the school library was renovated.
The library renovation at this elementary school was facilitated by Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) through the Matahari untuk Literasi project. This is a collaboration project between WVI and Matahari Department Store. The previously cramped and neglected library space has become more colourful, organised, and comfortable. Students can now use the library to read with their friends and improve their overall reading interest.
Salsabila and Ronaldo, two fifth-grade students with high reading and drawing interests, feel the benefits of this change. "It's cool, the room is more colourful and spacious, so we can read together with friends," said Aldo. "Previously, the impression was that the room was more cramped, because there were lots of shelves and lots of used goods, but after it was tidied up, the middle part can now be used for reading and it's more comfortable," added Salsabila.
In addition to improving facilities, the educators at the elementary school also held the Jakarta Reading Challenge competition. This competition aims to make students love literacy more through fun and beneficial activities. The students' participation in this competition shows that their reading interest is quite high. In this competition, 75 students took part in the challenge of reading one book every day for 14 days. Despite not winning the competition, they reported a 40% increase in reading interest during that period.
This activity also contributed to improving students' writing skills. Teachers noted that many students showed progress in expressing their ideas in writing, which is a positive step towards developing better literacy skills.
The transformation at this school is part of a larger change in Indonesian education, in line with the national Merdeka Belajar programme. This programme aims to give students the freedom to explore their interests and create an inclusive learning environment that is relevant to future needs.
With library renovations and literacy activities that are continuously promoted, it is hoped that students' reading interest will continue to increase. The story from one of the elementary schools in Jakarta proves that small changes like library renovations can have a big impact on children and the world of education. With support from various parties, the future of Indonesian education looks brighter as it builds a strong literacy culture among the younger generation.
Author: Parinah Aryani (Project Coordinator) dan Yonathan Prasha (Project Manager)
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
