HISTORY AND NATURE OF MULTIGRADE PROGRAM

HISTORY OF MULTIGRADE CLASSES

- 1800s – one-room schools, consisted of students of varied ages and abilities
- students learned together as a single class
- the first government schools in North America and Europe were multigrade
classes
- The multigrade classes have remained an essential school structure; in remote areas

- UNESCO defined multigrade teaching as the teaching of classes of learners who are
not only from different grade levels, but are also from diverse age groups, cultures, and
abilities
- A multigrade class has two or more grades under one teacher with 8 to 35 students
(Villalino, 2010)
- Multigrade education is essential in the poor, rural, and remote locations as part of the
effort to widen and improve access to quality education for all.
- It is a cost-effective means of increasing student attendance and student achievement

- Southeast Asian countries seen it as the means to achieve quality for all (SEAMEO
INNOTECH Research Updates)
- Multigrade classes may also be the result of the community or neighborhood’s
geographic location, socio-economic or cultural conditions.

Little, A (2004) identified following conditions where multigrade teaching arises:

1. Schools with low population

2. Classrooms are distributed at various locations

3. Decline of the number of students

4. Children go to more popular schools

5. The number of students exceeds the official class size requirements

6. High teacher absenteeism

7. Less deployment of teachers

8. Pedagogical purposes

SEAMEO-INNOTECH identified the following reasons Multigrade classes exist:

• The provision of complete education or access to services in rural, thinly populated
areas (Thomas and Shaw, 1992)
• Declining populations of students in small towns and villages in European countries
 • In some nations like Zambia, budgetary and manpower constraints made them unable
to create and sustain full-fledged schools
• Geographical characteristics of countries are affected by limited student populations or
inaccessibility
• Commitment to fulfill certain international and national obligations

ROLES OF A MULTIGRADE TEACHER

A multigrade teacher plays various roles as she performs the tasks in handling students with
varied age level, developmental stages and interests (Mathot, 2001)
The roles of a multigrade teacher are uniquely different from a monograde teacher

• RESEARCHER – knows the needs of the community and must conduct studies on
strategies and techniques that promote engagement and achievement in learning
• FACILITATOR – should be familiar with her pupils and their experiences to be able to
effectively facilitate the class
• COMMUNITY LIAISON/RESOURCE PERSON – important role of teachers in the local
community due to their experiences, status, and obligation
- support and assistance from the local community is required in order to enhance the
multigrade schools
• SOCIAL WORKER/COUNSELOR – they act as one to the students and the community
• EVALUATOR – ensures a good standard of education by keeping track of the learning of
the students
• MATERIAL DESIGNER – designs the instructional materials suitable for the learners in
a multigrade classroom
• FINANCIAL SUPERVISOR – manages the school’s finances
• PARENT TRAINER – trains volunteer-parents who help facilitate the class
• SURROGATE PARENT – making sure of the home-like atmosphere in a multigrade
classroom

BASES OF THE MULTIGRADE PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES

The implementation of the multigrade program in the Philippines is based on a legal structure as
well as national the international policies.
The bases of the implementation are the following:
1. The following provisions in the Philippines Constitution serve as basis for the implementation
of the Multigrade Program in the Philippines.
- Article XIV of the Philippines Constitution states that:
Section 1. “The state shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to qualify
education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make education accessible to
all”;
 - Section 2. “The state shall establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society”.

2. The Department of education issued the following memoranda with regard the
implementation of the Multigrade Program in the Philippines:
DepEd Order #96, s. 1997 - the policies and guidelines in the organization and operation of
multigrade (MG) classes
- (a) In D.O. #96 s. 1997, the following guidelines were stipulated with regard to
Multigrade Classes (MG):
(i) protect and promote the right of all citizens to accessible
quality education at all levels,
(ii) complete six grade levels to children in the remote barangays,
(iii) a multigrade class is defined as a class of 2 or more grades
under one teacher in a complete or incomplete elementary
school,
(iv) the class size is 8 to 35 pupils
(v) construction of 3-room school building for MG Classes
(vi) classroom layout should provide for grouping or regrouping,
(vii) the provision of textbooks and other resources,
(viii) allocating teacher items and/or assigning teachers in
multigrade classes,
(ix) providing support, welfare and incentive program for multigrade teachers
such as: regular monitoring of MG classes, regular training of MG teachers,
designated lodging place of teachers, granting of the Special Hardship
Allowance
Special Hardship Allowance - based on DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2023
- a compensation for teachers who are assigned to hardship posts, such as those with
difficult commutes or other hazards

- DepEd Order #81, s. 2009 - Strengthening the Implementation of the Multigrade

Education Program in Philippine Education

- (b) (b) In D.O. #81 s. 2009, the following guidelines were stipulated with regard to
Multigrade Classes (MG):
(i) provide access to quality education for all school-age children in remote communities,
(ii) to respond to the issues in the implementation of DepED Order No. 96, s. 1997, the
following guidelines are issued:
(a) strict implementation of Special Hardship Allowance for Multigrade teachers
(b) assigned teachers should be trained on multigrade teaching,
(c) provision of training resources and learning package,
(d) training of core of trainers for MG teachers,
(e) service of 2 years before a trained MG teacher is transferred
 3. International initiatives support the implementation of Multigrade Programs. In Southeast
Asia, the creation of multigrade schools responds to international commitments to EFA, the
Millennium Development Goals, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (SEAMEO-
INNOTECH Research Updates, n.d.)

(a) EFA (Education for All)

The UNESCO commits to the achievement of “full and equal opportunities or education
for all. In addition, Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights
states that:
“Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free at least in the elementary
and fundamental stages. Elementary Education shall be compulsory” (Mundy & Manion,
2021)

The following two EFA goals have their implications in creating situation for multigrade
teaching in different countries: (Aryal, et al, 2003)
Goal 2: “Ensure that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult
circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and are able to
complete primary education that is free, compulsory, and of good quality”.
Goal 6: “Improve all aspects of the quality of education and ensure excellence of all so
that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all especially in
literacy, numeracy, and life skills”.

(b) The Millennium Development Summit and the Millennium Development Declaration
in 2000 set out eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
MDG No. 2 is “Achieve universal primary education” (Mundy K. & Manion, C., 2021)

(c) Education for Sustainable Development

Launches in 2015 at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, the
seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development officially came into force on January 1, 2016
SGD 4 focusing on quality education, aims to ensure “Inclusive and equitable quality
education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (Mundy, K. & Manion,
C., 2021)

UNDERPINNING PHILOSOPHIES AND PRINCIPLES OF MULTIGRADE

TEACHING

To be more adaptive and active, multigrade teachers must have understanding of

epistemologies underpinning multigrade teaching (Brown, 2010)

- Constructivist approach – focus on how students make sense of their experiences and
socially construct meanings (Dossey, 1992; Siepinska & Lerman, 1996)
- Multigrade teaching then implies that in a student-centered environment, learning is
more likely to flourish.
 - Multigrade teaching is best practices in a setting where learners can engage and work
together (Little, 2005; Kyne, 2005; Lingnam, 2007)
- Constructivist perspective sees learning as occurring through problem-solving and
language-based practice
- Designing multigrade teaching for collaborative knowledge building through social
negotiation (Tsolakidis et al. 2005)
- Meaningful learning through incorporating pedagogical methods such as independent
research, peer tutoring, and small group instruction
Msimanga (2021) found out that effective teaching in a multigrade classroom takes place when:
(1) Self-directed learning opportunities
(2) Proper use of peer tutoring
(3) Engagement in cooperative learning
(4) Recognition of diverse learning styles
(5) Family involvement in learning

- Self-directed learning – allows the students to be actively involved in their own learning
progress and to work on their own
- Peer tutoring – contributes to effective learning; students learn effectively when sharing
their views with other students
- Learning is a social process, the family is very important in the learning process
- Cooperative learning – effective learning takes place when the students collaborate
with each other to generate new knowledge in a student-centered environment
- Cooperative learning involved learners in specific assignments or activities in order to
achieve task-related outcomes
Specific principles underlying the cooperative learning approach (Johnson & Johnson,
1987):
- Positive interdependence
- Heterogeneous groups
- Individualized learning performance
- Interpersonal and small-group skills
- Diversity
- Human rights and social justice
- Life skills
- Reasoning skills

- Multigrade teachers must recognize that students have different strengths and abilities,
and they prefer to learn in different ways
- Varied teaching strategies and assessments must be utilized to cater to the varied
learning styles of the students
- Differentiation – use to cater to the varying needs of the students
- refers to how the same teacher organizes learning for different
individuals and/or groups of learners
- Differences may be that of subjects taught, input/stimulus, learning, and expected
outcomes
Multigrade teaching adheres to the following principles:
(1) Children are unique
(2) Children can learn best from experience
(3) Children can do and learn well from another
(4) The role of the teacher is to provide a conducive learning environment
(5) The curriculum must cater to varied interests, abilities, and levels