FODE Centre in Lae expects to enroll 8,000 students for 2025

The Flexible, Open and Distance Education [FODE] Centre in Lae, Morobe Province is expecting to enroll 8000 students.

Coordinator of FODE Center, Helen Elecor in an interview with NBC News said there are 2,500 that have already registered since this Monday and the number will increase.

Ms. Elecor said the registration fee remains at K250.

"So, we will be expecting 8000 this year, that Includes continuing students from last year," Ms. Elecor said.

The school takes in students who were not able to complete their primary education. This includes grade seven [Gr.7] and grade eight [Gr.8] and students who didn't make it into formal education after grade 10 and 12 examinations.

She added that there have seen some developments, like the proposed plan to decentralized FODE into the districts.

"For this year, we have only Markham and Bulolo District to have our centers there, preferably secondary school facilities, to be utilized. So, I am urging the district education division to direct me on which schools we would be stationed.

"I also urge the Morobe Governor, Luther Wenge, to also give prominence to this wonderful program, which will help our unfortunate students in the rural parts of the province to second chance in education, that includes the other Political leaders as well," she said.

"FODE is the way forward to students who have missed out on the selection into the formal sector, where students can work at their own pace, but the center is here to guide them."

Elecor added that all work will be downloaded into Android phones to take home and work on.

She further explained that every assignment has fees because that is the money they use again to pay for teachers from secondary schools who are assisting to mark papers because that is extra work apart from their paid jobs.

Meanwhile, Ms. Elecor said Lae FODE Centre not only takes care of the Morobe students, but students as far as the Highlands, Madang, and elsewhere like a student who came all the way from Gulf Province.

The registration continues today until the end of this month.