Kokoda Track’s first FODE school completes academic year

Today, the Member for Hiri Koiari District, the Honourable Keith Iduhu, officially closed the end of the first academic year for the Mt Koiari FODE Centre in Manari village, operated by Australian development organisation KTF (Kokoda Track Foundation).

The FODE Centre is a satellite of KTF’s Kokoda FODE College and has delivered Grade 9 and Grade 11 studies to 30 students from Manari and nearby villages throughout 2022. Honourable Keith Iduhu travelled into Manari village with Dr Genevieve Nelson, the CEO of KTF, and Mr Saii Faole, Chief of Manari Village, to congratulate the staff and students for completing the academic year.

“It was a privilege to meet the inaugural students of the Mt Koiari FODE Centre and to congratulate them on their achievements this year” said Hon. Iduhu. “This is the first initiative of its kind for the people of the Kokoda Track and I am delighted to partner with KTF’s education program as we roll out strategically to impact and improve and lives of the children and people along the Kokoda Track.”

The FODE school overcomes the challenge of distance for students from the remote Mt Koiari region, who, to study at secondary level have had to trek the Kokoda Track to access KTF’s Kokoda FODE College, to Iarowari High School in Sogeri or on to Laloki in Port Moresby.

A satellite of Kokoda College, the Mt Koiari FODE Centre offers young adults a first and second chance at education. It enables school leavers to progress locally, early school leavers to re-enrol in high school and to matriculate at the Grade 12 level, or upgrade their results to progress to tertiary studies, particularly in teaching and health work.

Each term, KTF’s lecturers have travelled to Manari to deliver classes in a period of intensive, face- to-face learning, which has been coupled with self-directed study and assignments, supported by e-learning. The e-learning has been powered by solar installations, previously installed by KTF through partnership and funding from the Kokoda Initiative and trekking industry.

KTF CEO, Dr Genevieve Nelson remarked at the celebration today:

“Education is the key to bright futures and we are delighted to be able to bring secondary FODE schooling to the Mt Koiari region. We’ve been working alongside these communities for such a long time to address core community challenges, including access to education and primary healthcare services. Bringing FODE to Mt Koiari is a game changer, increasing the number of people matriculating, enabling them to pursue tertiary studies as teachers and health workers; skills that are desperately needed in their communities. FODE also is critical for PNG’s elementary teachers who must upgrade to Grade 12 in order to retrain as primary and early childhood teachers under the education reform.”

This fortnight, 72 Grade 9 and 11 students across the Kokoda FODE College and Mt Koiari FODE Satellite Centre sat their end of year national examinations and will progress to Grade 10 and 12 in 2023. This project has been generously supported by the PNG-AUS Partnership, via DFAT’s ANCP program and the Kokoda Initiative.

“Kokoda is our ‘home’ and we’re committed to continue working with the communities from the mountains of Koiari to the beaches beyond in Oro and Central provinces. In this 80th year of that historic battle that forged the great connection between PNG and Australia, we remain inspired by that mateship and the spirit of Kokoda well and truly lives on” said Dr Nelson.