The Department of Education through the Flexible Open and Distance Education (FODE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Daulo District Development Authority (DDA) for an effective, accessible and quality education with the aim to drive its principle of “Leaving NO Child Behind”. The official signing took place on Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 in Port Moresby. Officiating at the signing was the Secretary for the Department of Education, Dr Uke Kombra and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Daulo DDA, Samo Tobi and witnessed by other senior officers from the Department, Daulo DDA and FODE centre. The partnership will see the district creating a continued education pathway for its high school leavers who could not make it through to formal education rather can be supported by the District’s FODE assistance pathway. Under the agreement, the Daulo District DDA will fund and support the four high schools in the district including the Asaroka Secondary School, Daulo Secondary School, Mando High School and Watabung High School in the District to carry out the FODE program using their existing resource and facilities. Secretary, Dr Kombra described the partnership as a significant step forward for the Department as it falls in line with a number of key programs and policies the Department is currently undertaking as one of its major focus areas under the National Education Plan 2020-2029. “Those are key policies that the department is moving ahead across the country in our education system. FODE is now becoming not as a school for dropouts but a school for everyone to complete 12 years of education. It is an alternative pathway we have now and our enrolments have increased dramatically over the last 2-3 years. "Currently, the country has around 82, 105 FODE students. Last year it was about 80,000,” Dr Kombra said. Daulo DDA CEO, Mr. Tobi said the partnership marks the first for Daulo District and the first District in Eastern Highlands to offer such assistance to its students in the District. Mr. Tobi said the District will work closely with the Education Department to ensure a smooth and effective roll out of FODE program, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Early Childhood Education (ECE) in the District beginning next year. A total of K200, 000 has been allocated for the establishment of FODE in the District. The Department through FODE also anticipates to see the first batch of grade twelves (12s) students under FODE to be equally considered in the online application for higher education spaces which has been a huge challenge for years.