The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will distribute literature books to students to nurture their interest in Indonesian literature.
"Apart from textbooks used in classes, we will provide additional reading materials beyond textbooks, such as literature books," Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti said during a discussion with Indonesian writers on Friday.
He said that the ministry is also planning to republish literary works and distribute them free of charge to students.
According to the minister, reading literature books would nurture the creativity and imagination of students and motivate them to fulfill their aspirations in the future.
Such reading materials could help soften students' personalities and encourage them to care for each other, he said.
Encouraging them to read such books could also instill in them a love for the nation's rich language and diverse literature, he added.
"We should reinvigorate the spirit among the nation's younger generation to love the Indonesian language and literature as part of the nation's civilization," Mu'ti said.
He mentioned some of his favorite literary works, including Hamka's Beneath the Aegis of the Ka'bah (1938) and The Sinking of the Van der Wijck (1938).
He encouraged Indonesian writers to provide input to the government, including through the Friday discussion agenda, on nurturing the interest of the younger generation in literature and literary skills.
"What we should fight for right now is to encourage students to write literary works, as we want the younger generation and the nation's future generations to make our nation proud with their outstanding literary works," Mu'ti said.
Editor : Astrid Faidlatul Habibah
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