Introduction: Literacy as a Cornerstone for Development and Social Equity

Literacy is more than the ability to read and write—it is a gateway to lifelong learning, civic participation, and social mobility. UNESCO (2017) defines literacy as a fundamental human right and a foundation for sustainable societies. In today’s knowledge-based economy, the lack of foundational literacy can perpetuate cycles of poverty and marginalization. For Papua, one of Indonesia’s most geographically and culturally diverse provinces, the literacy gap is not just an education challenge but a social justice issue.

The 2023 Community Literacy Development Index (IPLM) ranked Papua fourth from the bottom among Indonesia’s provinces, with a score of just 47.57 (Perpusnas RI, 2023). This reflects entrenched structural barriers, including geographic remoteness, linguistic diversity, and limited state capacity in service delivery. The data from the Children Read with Comprehension (CRC) program, implemented by Wahana Visi Indonesia from 2022 to 2025, further highlights that more than 65% of early grade students in rural Papua struggled with basic comprehension tasks (WVI, 2025).

In response, the Provincial Government of Papua, supported by Wahana Visi Indonesia and facilitated by NINOS Education & Development in collaboration with Tira Maya Malino, developed the Papua Cultivating Literacy Roadmap 2025–2029. This document serves as a strategic framework to mainstream literacy into regional development, integrating national priorities, local realities, and grassroots insights.

The roadmap was officially adopted through the Governor’s Circular Letter of Papua No. 420/8166/SET, issued in 2024. This circular provides legal and administrative backing for literacy to be embedded in district-level education planning, village development budgeting, and school quality assurance systems.

Methodological Approach: From Consultation to Consolidation

The roadmap development process applied a mixed-methods approach grounded in participatory and evidence-based planning. NINOS Education & Development led a sequence of activities including:

• Policy and document review at national and subnational levels
• Data triangulation using IPLM, UPLM, AKM scores, and the Ministry of Education’s Education Report Cards
• 9 focus group discussions across districts, involving teachers, community leaders, literacy activists, school supervisors, village heads, and local government officials
• In-depth case analysis of CRC interventions in Jayapura and Keerom Districts

The roadmap was constructed around three guiding principles:

1. Equity: prioritizing underserved and indigenous communities
2. Local ownership: enabling sustainability through village-led mechanisms
3. Evidence-use: basing interventions on student learning outcomes, infrastructure data, and community aspirations

Challenges and Root Causes: Framing the Literacy Crisis in Papua

The roadmap identifies four interlinked systemic barriers:

1. Limited Access to Learning Materials: Papua has only 2 public libraries per 100,000 people. Most rural schools lack contextualized reading materials appropriate for early grade learners. The CRC evaluation found that students often relied on rote memorization due to the scarcity of engaging texts.
2. Low Quality and Cultural Relevance of Reading Materials: The CRC report revealed that fewer than 15% of books used in classrooms reflected Papuan contexts, values, or languages, contributing to student disengagement.
3. Undertrained Literacy Facilitators: Teachers, especially in isolated areas, have limited opportunities for professional development. Community volunteers and librarians often lack pedagogical skills. In the CRC program, only 18% of participating teachers had received structured literacy instruction training.
4. Fragmented Governance and Limited Public Participation: Cross-sectoral coordination between education, culture, libraries, and village authorities remains weak. Literacy programs are often ad hoc and donor-driven, with low alignment to government plans.

Strategic Directions and Outcomes

The roadmap establishes four strategic goals:

1. Enhancing Literacy Governance and Community Engagement
   • Establishing district-level literacy task forces
   • Integrating literacy targets into RPJMD and RKPD
   • Advocating for Village Fund (Dana Desa) allocation for local reading initiatives
2. Strengthening the Capacity of Literacy Facilitators
   • Training teachers, librarians, and parents on foundational literacy instruction
   • Developing peer learning forums and coaching cycles
   • Embedding literacy pedagogy in school supervision tools
3. Improving the Availability and Diversity of Learning Materials
   • Producing leveled readers in local languages and contextual themes
   • Setting up classroom reading corners and mobile libraries
   • Creating open-source digital content in collaboration with local writers and artists
4. Expanding Equitable Access to Literacy Programs
   • Establishing community reading centers in villages, churches, and health posts
   • Providing literacy services for out-of-school children and youth
   • Supporting inclusive approaches for children with disabilities and linguistic minorities

Each goal includes annual milestones, indicators, and implementation roles defined across provincial, district, and community levels.

Policy Integration and Contribution to National and Global Goals

The roadmap aligns with:

• RPJMN 2025–2029, which targets a Cultural Development Index (IPK) increase to 59.23
• RIPPP Papua 2022–2041, under the pillar of “Smart Papua”
• SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

It also echoes the National Literacy Movement (GLN) launched by the Ministry of Education in 2016, expanding the focus from school-based literacy to a holistic ecosystem encompassing family and community learning.

Role of the Governor’s Circular: Legitimizing Systemic Change

The issuance of Governor’s Circular No. 420/8166/SET marked a policy breakthrough. It legally mandates:

• Education offices to include literacy programs in annual work plans
• Schools to establish minimum literacy service standards
• Village governments to allocate at least one reading initiative annually using Dana Desa

This policy shift from project-based pilots to systemic adoption was significantly influenced by CRC program outcomes. According to WVI (2025), districts that piloted CRC interventions reported:

• 25% increase in the number of schools conducting reading assessments
• Tripling of school supervisors trained in literacy coaching
• Introduction of literacy targets in school-based planning documents (RKAS)

NINOS’ Value-Add: Translating Complexity into Strategy

As the technical facilitator, NINOS Education & Development ensured the roadmap was grounded in both national frameworks and local contexts. NINOS provided:

• Technical guidance on literacy assessment frameworks
• Capacity building for provincial education planners
• Evidence synthesis for policy decision-making
• Advocacy support for the issuance of the governor’s circular

Our approach combines academic rigor, community voice, and planning expertise—a triad necessary for sustainable reform.

Conclusion: Toward a Just and Literate Papua

The Papua Literacy Roadmap 2025–2029 demonstrates that data-driven planning, if aligned with political will and grassroots action, can catalyze transformation. By securing provincial policy endorsement and fostering cross-sectoral coalitions, the roadmap shifts the paradigm of literacy work from temporary interventions to long-term system building.

Papua now has a solid foundation to scale evidence-based strategies, replicate teacher training models, and institutionalize literacy in public sector performance indicators. As shown by the CRC program, even in resource-constrained environments, measurable gains in student reading comprehension are possible when strategy, capacity, and community align.

Other provinces in Indonesia, particularly those in the 3T regions (remote, underdeveloped, and frontier), may draw valuable lessons from Papua’s journey—not just in program design but in the political and social processes needed to make literacy a shared and sustained priority.

Author: Mega Indrawati in collaboration with Tira Maya Malino

References:

• Bappenas (2023). RPJMN 2025–2029 Technocratic Draft.
• Kemendikbud (2017). National Literacy Movement Roadmap.
• OECD (2019). PISA 2018 Results.
• Perpusnas RI (2023). Community Literacy Development Index Report.
• UNESCO (2017). Global Education Monitoring Report: Literacy for Sustainable Societies.
• Wahana Visi Indonesia (2025). Evaluation Report: Children Read with Comprehension (CRC) Program 2022–2025.