IT is always heartbreaking to see a student struggle in school and does not get good grades to allow him to continue to college.
Western Province students are no exception, as they are faced with challenging situations, be it financial, peer pressure, family obligations or just simply that the school is too far from home.
As a result, a good number of students are leaving school at grades 10 and 12. This was the case for now 26 year old AJ Anton from Kungim Village.
He completed Grade 12 in 2012 in Port Moresby but did not meet the grade requirement for college due to peer pressure.
In 2013, AJ applied and was supported by the Wai Tri Trust to upgrade his marks through FODE & Adult Matriculation program.
He studied hard in order to fulfil his desire to get into college, find work and support his future. “Adult Matriculation has made me achieve a lot in my life. It has made me progress onto Technical College which has made me who I am today,” he said. Now, he is currently employed as a Lab Technician with Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) after joining in 2017.
AJ said failure or failing exams is not a vocabulary appropriate for school dropouts.
The adult matriculation program allows the student to study the materials at home and on their own time and pace.
Getting a pass mark will all depend on the student and how much time they invest to understand the course materials. It did open doors for him and his peers, and can do the same for others also.
In 2017, the OTDF Community Education Services (CES) Team have developed FODE Policies and Guidelines, to expand operations, provide effective coordination and transparent as well as accountable service delivery.
These are based on maximizing the benefit to the Western Province communities, focusing on quality, community support and improved academic results. At present OTDF has established 10 Satellite Study Centres (SSC) with its own coordinators offering FODE and Adult Matriculation programs. The SSC’s are North Fly (Tabubil, Nigerum & Kiunga), Middle Fly (Bosset, Aiambak, & Kaviananga), and South Fly (Nakaku, Tapila, Kawiapo, & Daru).