History, Nature and

STATUS OF MULTIGRADE
PROGRAM
In many places, education
systems are structured in a
way that students typically
advance from grade to grade
as peers of the same age.
These are called monograde
classes.
However, in some places, the student population is
not sufficient to complete a grade level. Geographic
location, low population density, cultural factors,
socio-economic constraints and other factors
contribute to this situation.
The multigrade system was developed to provide full
and sufficient quality education. This means that
school children in challenging or deprived
circumstances will receive the same education as
other students. Students are divided into two or three
grade levels in a multigrade class and are taught by
one teacher.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
• dicuss the history of multigrade classes;
• identify the roles of a multigrade teacher;
• synthesize the bases of Multigrade Program in the Philippines;
• explain the underpinning learning theories and principles of multigrade
teaching;
• describe the status of multigrade teaching in the Philippines;
• describe the practices and strategies of multigrade teaching in Southeast
Asia;
• cite the positive outcomes/advantages as well as the drawbacks/challenges
of multigrade teaching; and identify solutions to the challenges in the
implementation of multigrade teaching.
LESSON 1: HISTORY AND NATURE
OF MULTIGRADE PROGRAM
In your piece of paper, draw an emoji that will show your
possible reaction to the given situation. Explain your reaction.

Situation: You are a new teacher. You are hired as a multigrade

teacher.

EMOJI EXPLANATION
Case Study (Mathot, 2001)

The school inspector visits Thaba Limphe Primary School. He travels for four
hours by bus. Then, he rides a horse down to a river. Last year, people drowned
in that river when a flash flood happened. The inspector follows a mountain
trail from the river. He sees school children on their way home. Some of the
children walk for more than an hour. Upon arriving home, these children do
household chores. The inspector finally reaches the three-room school. The
inspector discussed with the teachers the problems in teaching the curriculum
as well as the limited resources. The inspector stays for the night in the
classroom. The next day the inspector takes a four-hour trip on horseback to
another remote school.
A. HISTORY OF MULTIGRADE
CLASSES
A. HISTORY OF MULTIGRADE CLASSES

In the 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
(Brunswic and Valerien, 2004, as cited in “Quality
Indicators of Multigrade Instruction in Southeast
Asia”, 2012).
The industrial revolution and rapid urban population
growth has made the practice of graded school system
was started as a means to classify and organize the
increasing number of students. It became the norm
(Miller, 1989) and has become the organizational unit
of the school. It remianed an essential school structure
especially in remote areas.
UNESCO (2015, as cited in “A Review of the Current
Situation and Practices of Multigrade Shools in the
Philippines”, 2020) 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, as
cited in “Quality Indicators of Multigrade Instruction
in Southeast Asia”, 2012).
The Philippines has embraced the multigrade schooling
approach subscribing to international research findings that
multigrade schooling is a cost-effective means of raising
participation rates and student achievement in poor, remote
areas. It believes in the potential of the approach to bring
education closer to remote and marginalized communities.
Thus, multigrade schools in the Philippines have increased
in number and organization over the past decades.
These classes exist for a wide variety of reasons (Mathot,
2011)
• Southeast Asian countries see it as the means to achieve
quality education for all (SEAMEO INNOTECH
Research Updates, n.d.);
• it is the result of the community or neighborhood’s
geographic location, socio-economic or cultural
conditions;
• access to education may be difficult for children living in
remote mountain barangays;
 • socio-economic constraints may require children to
perform domestic and agricultural tasks;

These factors would result in the decline of students. Thus,

students from varying levels or ages need to be combined to
comprise one class, the multigrade class.
Little, A. (2004) identified the following conditions where
multigrade teaching arises:

(i) schools with low population,

(ii) classrooms are distributed at various locations,
(iii) decline of the number of students,
(iv) children go to more popular schools,
(v) the number of students exceeds official class size
requirements, causing students from different grade levels to
be combined;
(vi) high teacher absenteeism;
(vii) less deployment of teachers;
(viii) pedagogical purposes.
SEAMEO-INNOTECH (*Quality Indicators of Multigrade
Instruction in Southeast Asia", 2012) identified the following
reasons why Multigrade classes exist:

(i) the provision of complete education or access to services

in rural, thinly populated areas (Thomas and Shaw, 1992, as
cited in "Quality Indicators of Multigrade Instruction in
Southeast Asia", 2012)
(ii) declining populations of students in small towns and
villages in European countries;
(iii) in some nations like Zambia, budgetary and manpower
constraints made them unable to create and sustain full-
fledged schools;
(iv) geographical characteristics of countries are affected by
limited student populations or inaccessibility; and
(v) commitment to fulfill certain international and national
obligations.
For example, Vietnam has also launched multigrade training
to achieve its national EFA (Education for All) targets
(Huong, 2010 as cited in "Quality Indicators of Multigrade
Instruction in Southeast Asia", 2012); the Philippines has to
comply with the constitutional right to education (Villalino,
2010 as cited in "Quality Indicators of Multigrade Instruction
in Southeast Asia" 2012); and the birth control program in
Thailand led to a decrease in population growth.
B. ROLES OF A MULTIGRADE
TEACHER
B. ROLES OF A MULTIGRADE TEACHER

A multigrade teacher plays various roles as she/he performs

the tasks in handling students with varied age level,
developmental stages and interests (Mathot, 2001).
B. ROLES OF A MULTIGRADE TEACHER

• researcher - has to know the needs of the community and

must conduct studies on strategies and techniques that
promote engagement and achievement in learning
• facilitator - the teacher should be familiar with his or her
pupils and their experiences to be able to effectively
facilitate the class
B. ROLES OF A MULTIGRADE TEACHER

• teachers take on an important role in the local

community because of their experience, status and
obligation and serve as community liaison or resource
persons
• social worker or counselor to the students and the
community
B. ROLES OF A MULTIGRADE TEACHER

• evaluator - the teacher ensures a good standard of

education by keeping track of the learning of the
students
• material designer - as he/she designs instructional
materials suitable for the learners in a multigrade
classroom as well as a financial supervisor as he/she
manages the school’s finances
B. ROLES OF A MULTIGRADE TEACHER

• parent trainer - trains volunteer-parents who help

facilitate the class
• Lastly, the atmosphere is more like that of a home in a
multigrade classroom. Thus, the teacher becomes a
surrogate parent to the pupils.
C. BASES OF THE MULTIGRADE
PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES
C. BASES OF THE MULTIGRADE PROGRAM
IN THE PHILIPPINES

The implementation of the multigrade program in the

Philippines is based on a legal statute as well as national and
international policies. The bases of implementation are the
following:
C. BASES OF THE MULTIGRADE PROGRAM
IN THE PHILIPPINES

The implementation of the multigrade program in the

Philippines is based on a legal statute as well as national and
international policies. The bases of implementation are the
following:
 • The following provisions in the Philippine Constitution serve as
basis for the implementation of the Multigrade Program in the
Philippines.

Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that:

Section 1. "The state shall protect and promote the right of all citizens
to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to
make education accessible to all';
Section 2.1 "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
classes in the Philippines: (a) In D.O. #96 s. 1997, the
following guidelines were stipulated with regard to Multigrade
Classes (MG): "(i) protect and promote the rights of all
citizens to accessible quality education at all levels, (i)
complete six (6) 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, (vii) allocating teacher items
and/or assigning teachers in multigrade classes, (viii) 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.
(b) In D.O. #81 s. 2009, the following guidelines were stipulated
with regard to Multigrade Classes: "(i) provide access to quality
education for all school-age children in remote communities, (i 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, and e) service of 2
years before a trained multigrade 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 (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) commits to the
achievement of "full and equal opportunities or education for all
(EFA). 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 Launched in 2015 at the United Nations
Sustainable Development Summit, the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development officially came into force
on January 1, 2016. SDG 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).
To fulfill the above-mentioned goals, countries have increased access to learning
opportunities for all school children especially in the remote rural areas through the
creation of the multigrade classes.
 D. UNDERPINNING PHILOSOPHIES AND
PRINCIPLES OF MULTIGRADE TEACHING
EMPATHY
Try to understand how
others feel and be there
to support them.