Equity-Oriented Literacy Innovation in Archipelagic Education: The GALATAMA Program in North Maluku

Abstract

Literacy inequality remains a persistent challenge in Indonesia’s archipelagic regions, where geographic fragmentation limits equitable access to educational resources, institutional support, and literacy development. Existing studies on madrasa literacy have primarily emphasized school leadership, curriculum integration, and literacy culture, while insufficient attention has been given to equity-oriented literacy innovation and the contribution of religious social capital in geographically dispersed educational settings. This study investigates the Gerakan Literasi Madrasah (GALATAMA) program as an adaptive literacy model developed for madrasas in North Maluku, Indonesia. This study employed a qualitative documentary analysis design. The primary data source was the GALATAMA program monograph, complemented by national and provincial policy documents, educational statistics, and relevant scholarly literature. Data were analyzed through systematic document review, interpretation, and thematic analysis focusing on literacy inequality, program design, and the role of religious social capital. The findings reveal that literacy disparities in North Maluku madrasas are shaped by geographic isolation, unequal institutional capacity, limited supervision, and weak literacy culture. GALATAMA addresses these challenges through four integrated literacy pillars—Qur’anic literacy, Arabic literacy, English literacy, and reading culture—designed to be implemented in both urban and remote island madrasas without extensive technological infrastructure. The analysis further demonstrates that religious social capital, reflected in halaqah, talaqqi, mosque-based learning, and strong madrasa–community relationships, plays a critical role in sustaining literacy practices. This study contributes to the literature by proposing an equity-oriented literacy framework for archipelagic education that integrates adaptive program design with community-based religious social capital. The findings provide policy insights for strengthening literacy development in geographically fragmented educational systems and offer a transferable model for other island and remote educational contexts.