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

"There are about 758 students. Most of them live near the school. So the economic conditions of their parents are like that. Mostly, factory workers make up the largest group here. The number of fishermen is starting to decline," she added.

Ban on Bringing Motorcycles to School

In addition to literacy, SMPN 20 Semarang also enforces strict rules regarding student arrivals.

The school strongly prohibits students from bringing motorized vehicles for traffic safety reasons, so most students are brought by their parents, use online motorcycle taxis, or ride bicycles.

"The school rule is that children aren’t allowed to use motorized vehicles to go to school. They may use online motorcycle taxis or bicycles. But motorcycles are not allowed inside," she emphasized.

Hoping for More New Books in the Library

Meanwhile, Adam, a student at SMPN 20 Semarang, said he enjoyed participating in the Jagat Literasi program with Kompas.com.

"The activities are fun," Adam said.

He admitted to being interested in reading history books. According to him, many lessons can be learned from history books.

After participating in the Jagat Literasi activities, he hopes there will be many new books in the SMPN 20 Semarang library.

"If there are new books in the library, I would be interested," Adam said.

Reaching 13 Provinces in 2026

In 2026, Jagat Literasi activities reached 13 provinces across Indonesia.

Initiated by Kompas.com, this program aims to distribute about 7,000 reading books to 36 to 39 schools in remote regions to provide more learning access for Indonesian children.