Not All Children Have the Same Space to Read

Raykoer, who is nine years old, still finds it difficult to read and write. While his peers are in the third or fourth year of primary school, he remains in the first year. He can copy text, but whenever he is asked to read, he just looks down, shakes his head, and quietly says, "I can't read." 

The literacy rate among children in the village where Raykoer lives is quite low. Many children have not yet mastered basic reading and writing skills. This situation significantly impacts their learning process at school. 

Instead of being promoted to the next grade based on academic achievement, most children are simply moved up due to their age. As a result, they face a growing accumulation of difficulties in the next stage of their education, as they still haven't mastered the foundational skills they need. 

This situation highlights how urgent it is to improve literacy in this village in Biak Numfor Regency. Every child deserves a fairer and more meaningful learning opportunity. 

After school, Raykoer goes home to a small, simple house. He no longer has parents and is being raised by his grandmother, Ketrina, along with her nine other grandchildren. With a body that is starting to become frail, increasingly blurry vision, and only a primary school education herself, Ketrina patiently tries to raise her grandchildren. However, she has limitations in her ability to teach Raykoer how to read and write. 

Raykoer’s only learning opportunities rely on the second-hand books in the house. To this day, access to children's storybooks and out-of-school literacy activities are still unavailable. Yet, Raykoer and the other children in his community want to be able to read without limits. "I want to be able to read so I can write when told, without needing to copy," he says, hopefully. 

Author: Yubeltin Urbinas (Field facilitator from Biak operational area) 

Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)