RRI.CO.ID, Kudus - The Indonesian government is strengthening efforts to improve the quality of education by expanding access to quality reading materials for children across the country. The initiative includes the distribution of 5.5 million books to elementary and junior secondary schools nationwide.

The commitment was reaffirmed by Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu'ti, during the launch of the nationwide book distribution program in Kudus, Central Java, on Friday, July 31, 2026. He said improving literacy and numeracy is part of President Prabowo Subianto's fourth Asta Cita priority, which focuses on developing high-quality human resources.

The Minister stressed that increasing children's interest in reading requires collaboration among the central government, regional administrations, the private sector, and the wider community. "We are doing everything we can to improve children's reading interest. Together with our partners, including Pura Barutama and PT Mars Akbar Mandiri, we hope this program will run smoothly and benefit Indonesian children," he said.

He also emphasized that providing quality reading materials should not be the government's responsibility alone. He said local governments and private companies also play an important role in enriching learning resources so that students can continue learning beyond the classroom.

In addition to printed books, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has expanded access to learning materials through its Rumah Pendidikan digital platform. The service enables teachers and students to download textbooks and supplementary materials free of charge in digital, audio, and video formats.

Hariqo Wibawa Satria, Senior Expert at the Presidential Communications Office, praised the ministry's commitment to inclusive education through the provision of Braille books as well as audio and video learning resources for children with disabilities. "These efforts must continue to be strengthened as part of improving the quality of national literacy," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the Language Development and Fostering Agency, Hafidz Muksin, said this year's book distribution covers 510 regencies and municipalities across all 38 provinces. He added that priority is being given to schools with literacy levels below the national minimum competency standard based on the National Assessment, while every book package includes user guidelines for teachers, principals, and students.

He expressed hope that stronger collaboration among the government, businesses, and communities would expand children's access to quality reading materials across Indonesia. "Our collective efforts will ensure these books are used effectively to help nurture a generation of intelligent, critical, and ethical students who will contribute to Indonesia's future development," he said.