More than 350 middle school students in Bali’s Buleleng regency are unable to read fluently, with over 150 of them classified as completely illiterate—a troubling indicator that foundational literacy skills, which should be acquired in primary school, are being missed altogether.
The figures, released by the local education department, have prompted calls for urgent reforms in both teaching methods and parental involvement.
Students can scroll, but can’t read
Buleleng Deputy Regent Gede Supriatna pointed to the widespread use of smartphones in schools as a contributing factor. He noted that some students who struggle to read and write are nonetheless adept at scrolling through social media.
“We’re not against technology, but it needs to be regulated so that students can focus on their education,” Supratna said.
While Supriatna’s remarks reflect local observations, studies in other countries have also found that excessive, unsupervised smartphone use—particularly for entertainment and social media—may hinder literacy development by reducing time spent on reading and weakening attention spans.
Research specific to Indonesia remains limited, but education officials have increasingly voiced similar concerns in the post-pandemic period.
More than just a few cases
According to the acting head of the Buleleng Education, Youth and Sports Agency (Disdikpora), Putu Ariadi Pribadi, the regency has 34.062 middle school students. Of these, 155 are categorized as cannot read (TBM), while 208 fall into the not fluent in reading (TLM) group.
In total, 363 students — just over 1% of the student population — are facing serious literacy challenges.
While the percentage may seem minor on paper, education analysts typically regard a middle school illiteracy rate above 1% as high. At this age level, basic reading skills are expected to be long established, making such figures a clear signal of deeper issues in early education and support systems.
Literacy gaps rooted in broader issues
Ariadi outlined several factors behind the literacy deficit: lack of motivation, unfinished early learning, dyslexia, disabilities, and poor family support. He also cited long-term effects of pandemic-era remote learning, curriculum misunderstandings, and teachers’ fear of legal or social repercussions when correcting students.
“Some students are also dealing with trauma — whether from domestic violence, divorce, the death of a family member, or bullying. These can significantly affect their ability to focus and learn,” Ariadi said.
Call for targeted interventions
Chairman of the Buleleng Education Council I Made Sedana called for a diagnostic approach to address the issue. “There needs to be mapping to assess whether these students have special needs. And we also have to ask: are teachers too bogged down with paperwork to actually teach?”
With student literacy slipping below expected standards, officials and educators now face mounting pressure to tackle the root causes — before early gaps grow into lifelong setbacks.
