No Longer Boring, This Is How the Creative "Jagat Literasi" Boosts Reading Interest Among SMPN 20 Semarang Students

SEMARANG, KOMPAS.com – The spacious white-tiled auditorium at SMPN 20 Semarang, Central Java, has been transformed into a lively creativity lab.

Dozens of students in scout uniforms sit in small circles on the floor.

In front of them, pieces of assembly materials, black plastic wheel segments, wires, batteries, and instruction manuals are neatly scattered.

Guided by facilitators wearing blue vests labeled Jagat Literasi, the students' fingers busily and carefully match each precise component to build educational projects.

Uswaton Hasanah, Public Relations at SMPN 20 Semarang, welcomes the interactive learning space brought to her school.

She believes practical literacy and science approaches like this are essential to spark the learning interest of hundreds of students.

"The hope is that the kids develop a self-awareness to engage in literacy on their own without being told. But nowadays, maybe the way kids approach literacy is different," Uswaton said during the Jagat Literasi event on Friday (18/9/2026).

She noted that many students still feel reluctant to read books, so various methods are needed to attract their interest in reading.

"If we don’t do that, I’m sure the kids would also be reluctant to open books," she added.

Free from Tidal Floods for the Last Two Years

KOMPAS.COM JAGAT LITERASI: Dozens of students from SD Barunawati, Semarang City, Central Java, after participating in the Jagat Literasi program in Semarang, Thursday (17/9/2026). Jagat Literasi is a collaborative program between Kompas.com, Gramedia, and MR. DIY to reach out, distribute books, and invite children in remote areas of Indonesia to learn and read together.

Uswaton explained that SMPN 20 Semarang currently accommodates about 758 students divided into 24 learning groups (rombel).

Located in a coastal area, this public school often faced threats from tidal floods and rainwater flooding up to half a meter high at the front gate.

However, in the past two years, the operation of a pumping station near Kaligawe has successfully freed the school compound from water accumulation.

"Our school is in a coastal area. A few years ago, when it rained, flooding always occurred. But for about two years since I've been here, there hasn’t been any flooding impact, probably because the pumps near Kaligawe in Semarang have been functioning. So the water no longer flows into here," she explained.

Though the school is one of the favorites and always filled with thousands of applicants during new student admissions, Uswaton admitted that the socio-economic backgrounds of students’ parents are very diverse, mostly from middle to lower income groups.