Jember, NU Online
As an educational institution, Islamic Boarding “Pesantren” School has really potential to be empowered in making illiterate eradication program successful in society.

The statement above was said by Director of Society's Education of Dir. Gen. Out-of School Education Department of National Education 9Depdiknas), Sudjarwo as attending Functional Illiterate Launching at Pesantren As-Syifa, Cumedak, Sumberjambe District several days ago.

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According to Sudjarwo, pesantren and kiais (Islamic clerics supervising Pesantren) could be part of ideal movers in eradicating illiterate by calling on people to participate in packet program.
“More that that, kiais with their cultural approaching and gently instruction can make people more stand in studying,” said Sudjarwo.

While, Chairman of Jember’s Pesantren Association (RMI) Branch Board, KH Bahrulah Aziz suggested that all santris (those who studying in pesantren) in Jember have now been literate.
According to kiai Aziz, even though there have been pesantrens provided no general lesons, but most of them have been capable of writing and speaking Indonesian. 

“If just to merely write, they (santris) can. Pesantren is, thus, some of the time regarded as scapecoat as source of illiterate,” he said. (ary)