Flexible Open and Distance Education
Flexible, Open and Distant Education (FODE) provides an opportunity for those who are not able to attain recognised educational qualifications (high school and secondary school level) through the formal education system to attain these qualifications. The current focus is for the children wishing to complete their Grades 7 to 10 educational qualifications through the College of Distance Education (CODE). A number of Grades 11 and 12 students are also been given the opportunity to attain their upper secondary qualifications through this system.
Vision
The Flexible, Open and Distance Education system provides Sandaun people with alternative opportunities outside the formal education system to gain further appropriate and affordable education up to tertiary level.
Infrastructure
Curriculum
The National Education Plan has stipulated the following with respect to curriculum: it is limited to general education in Grades 7 to 10; courses may be started and completed at any time of the year; it takes a maximum of 9 months to complete a course, or up to 3 years to complete a grade and with the absence of a policy on articulation means distance education system have limited opportunities for students to move into the conventional stream.
There is no annual budget allocation from the province to cater for purchase and delivery of study materials to the three centres. There are delays in materials reaching the centres due to lack of funding and transport inconvenience. The centres operate on donations from their own sources to provide this service.