For many living in the scattered island communities of New Ireland Province, getting a full education isn’t easy. Long distances, sometimes across seas, limited schools and places, lack of funds and family responsibilities mean many young people (particularly girls) leave school early - especially at the secondary level.

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But if we want enough local teachers and health workers serving their communities across New Ireland, we need to create other ways for people to finish their education. That means opening up flexible, second-chance pathways so they can return to school, complete their studies, and go on to further education.

The current school system doesn’t have the schools to meet the needs of the scattered population of New Ireland. Many students drop out after primary school or between senior grades. While the government is working to address this, more options are needed to provide universal education for all.

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That’s where KTF comes in. We offer second-chance pathways through Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE), a PNG government-endorsed program that helps early school leavers re-enter formal education and finish Grade 12. It’s a key element of the PNG government’s strategy for making education truly accessible - for everyone.

 

We offer two flexible learning options for people in rural and remote New Ireland:

• Helping early school leavers pick up where they left off and work towards finishing Grade 12.

• Giving people a second chance to improve their grades so they can get into tertiary study.

 

FODE plays a vital role under PNG’s new education reforms. To become a teacher or health worker, you now need a Grade 12 qualification and a minimum GPA of 2.8 to get into tertiary study. FODE gives people the chance to meet those new requirements - while still working and supporting their communities. This is particularly important in New Ireland, where the cast majority of students are teachers themselves, studying to upgrade.

From four FODE centres - Lihir and Silom, Lamasong and Warangansau on the mainland -  and using an innovative hub-based model that keeps teachers in their classrooms and studying, FODE brings secondary schooling to the rural and remote communities of New Ireland.

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Through flexible lesson delivery, electronic learning resources, student progress monitoring and support and fee-free education, FODE helps build a stronger education framework by upskilling teachers with better results and the schooling levels they need.