Lack of funding hinders Fode centre’s operations in province

MOROBE flexible open distance education (Fode) centre in Lae is struggling without funding from the provincial government.
The centre is yet to receive the K800,000 allocated in this year budget. Fode coordinator Nemica Jacob has no choice but to charge a registration fee of K75 per student.
Jacob said she never received the funding to implement their annual activities within districts and maintain facilities, offices and necessary administration needs.
“Fode plays crucial role in providing hope to majority of school leavers in grades eight and 10 and the government needs to be serious how best we can educate these children become productive citizens”.
Huon Gulf administrator Moses Wanga is also calling on the provincial education reform office to consider Fode through the provincial government’s “zero-dropout” concept. “We unable to implement our programmes effectively due to funding constraints as we needed money to buy curriculum tablets for correspondence students.”