Teachers told to upgrade marks

ELEMENTARY school teachers with a grade 10 background have been urged to take up flexible open and distance education (Fode) to upgrade their marks.
National Fode office prinicpal Anthony Rayappan told The National that they were encouraging elementary school teachers to take Fode in order to complete grade 11 and 12.
“Elementary school teachers who have a grade 10 background can upgrade their marks with Fode,” he said.
Rayappan said last year, the National Capital District (NCD) and some non-government organisation (NGO) sponsored elementary school teachers who would do Fode this year.
He said the Education Department had given them the undertaking and appealed to those teachers that fell under the target group to apply to Fode and upgrade their qualifications.
“Fode is free,” he said.
“They (elementary teachers) will not pay the subject fees, they are also treated as student.
Meanwhile, Rayappan said concerns had been raised on the delay of the awarding of Fode certificates.
He said the awarding of certificates had been delayed as they looked to introduce a more secure certification system with features that would guard against fraud, forgeries and duplication.
“These (security) features (to certificates) cannot be done here in the country so we have to outsource it overseas,” Rayappan said.
He said the initiative, as well as disruptions caused by the Covid-19, had combined to delay the awarding of certificates.
Rayappan said the certificates were expected to get to Port Moresby this week (before Friday) and once they arrived, they would start printing and ensure the certificates were given to respective centres.