Current Situation and Practices of Multigrade

Teaching
As an archipelago consisting of more than 7,000 islands, the delivery of
government services, such as education, remains challenging and sparse. In
remote locations, classrooms practice multigrade teaching—where one
teacher instructs students from different grade levels—to address issues of
accessibility and teacher availability.

With a call to enhancing the state of Philippine education, we evaluate the

effectiveness of multigrade teaching and try to understand the problems
encountered by multigrade teachers in the Philippines.

SEAMEO INNOTECH’s study on multigrade teaching in the Philippines PDF

acknowledges that the practice is an innovative solution to a challenge unique
to the various regions in the country. However, new approaches to education
and technology may point to novel ways in enhancing access to education
throughout the nation.

Multigrade Education in the Philippines:

Challenges and Questions
Since 1993, the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) has considered
multigrade education as a practical solution to bring education to school-age
children located in geographically isolated, disadvantaged, conflict-affected
and sparsely populated communities.

That being said, the Philippine Multigrade program provides opportunities for
community schools with low enrolments and limited number of teachers in
remote areas the ability to offer a complete cycle of elementary education.

Although it was imperfect, multigrade education has served as a sufficient

solution to the issue of accessibility to education in parts of the Philippines.
However, as the country developed, the multigrade teaching situation failed to
improve significantly, leaving generations of Filipinos in need of quality
education.

The issues and problems about multigrade classes in the Philippines

encompass both teachers and students. Teachers are faced with a complex
classroom requiring teaching and management styles outside of the traditional
paradigm. Meanwhile, the challenges faced by multigrade teachers impact the
students’ education.

With decades of practice and support from their communities, educators have
developed strategies that fit their multigrade teaching situation, allowing them
to maximize the time and budget allotted for each classroom.

The creativity and resourcefulness of multigrade teachers have proved to be a

strength in maintaining the sustainability of multigrade education. However,
this prompts the question: are their efforts sufficient to be at par with national
and global standards. Furthermore, to what extent should the national
government standardize multigrade teaching practices and what types of
support should be prioritized to help multigrade schools achieve global
competitiveness.

The situation of multigrade education in the Philippines is, indeed, diverse and
complex. We attempt to paint a clear picture of the current situation through
11 case studies.

Multigrade Education Situation: Case

Studies
The efforts to improve the quality of education in the Philippines calls for an
evaluation of the state of multigrade education.

This volume of eleven (11) case studies is part of a suite of knowledge

products emerging from the Technical Support to Multigrade Program in
Philippine Education (TS-MPPE), a tripartite project between the Philippine
Department of Education (DepEd), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center
for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) from 2017
to 2019.

The case studies illustrate the predominant problems encountered by

multigrade teachers in the Philippines. They show the limitations of the
Philippine education system uniquely experienced by communities in remote
locations.

The case studies also highlight the strengths of the multigrade program,
particularly the teachers, administrators, and the community. The combined
efforts of educators and community members have prompted improvements in
the multigrade program, but the fact remains that there is greater room for
improvement.