Seminar: Literacy, Numeracy and Critical Thinking

Literacy is a crucial aspect of our lives; without it, everything becomes impossible. With literacy, we can effectively communicate with each other and comprehend a myriad of concepts. Our knowledge broadens through literacy, fostering more critical thinking. Without literacy, we cannot read, write, listen, or speak properly.

On December 8th, SMA Tarakanita organized a seminar on literacy. Our guest speaker was Mr. Irfan Rifai, Ph.D., from Binus University. The focus of the seminar was on literacy and numeracy, with a primary emphasis on literacy. In 2019, Indonesia ranked 62 out of 70 countries in literacy levels, indicating a significantly low literacy rate, with people in Indonesia seldom engaging in reading. Only 0.01% of Indonesians have reading as a hobby, highlighting a lack of interest in reading among the population.

The low literacy level contributes to a deficiency in critical thinking, posing a substantial problem in our lives. During the seminar, some students expressed their opinions on the lack of literacy. Their consensus was that many people are uninterested in reading due to a preference for short texts, while books contain lengthy passages that discourage reading. The seminar revealed that the numeracy rate in Indonesia is higher than the literacy rate, suggesting that people nowadays are not accustomed to reading and analyzing complex material that requires critical thinking.

As part of the activities, we played Kahoot on literacy and engaged in critical analysis of a text. The text, focused on a product, was scrutinized for bias. Our logical analysis concluded that the text was biased, lacking valid information and a coherent purpose.

Hopefully, the literacy rate in Indonesia will increase in the coming years. We can bring about significant change through small actions, such as paying attention to texts and information provided by teachers or friends. Developing a habit of reading books and analyzing important information can enhance our knowledge. (Isaura Tashi C., X1)