REDEFINING THE ROLE OF MULTI-GRADE TEACHING

1
REDEFINING THE ROLE OF MULTI-GRADE TEACHING

• CHALLENGES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

2
THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

• Achieve EFA education related MDGs
• Completion of quality universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women

3
The context of basic education in Africa/problems
and issues

• Rural/urban and gender inequalities in terms of
  access, retention and completion.
• Supply side shortage of teachers to meet
  enrolments growth.
• Emergence of new categories of teachers
  under-trained and low-paid contractual
  teachers.
• Fiscal and budgetary constraints to train and
  recruit additional teachers.
• HIV/AIDS epidemic impact
• Expansion of education systems
• Quality education
• Costs

4
The context of basic education in Africa/problems
and issues

• Demand side overcrowded classrooms high
  pupils/teacher ratio.
• Poor teaching and learning conditions in schools.
• Specific problems in rural settings
• Few teacher incentives to work in rural and
  disadvantaged areas
• Lack of teacher professional development
  programmes
• Prevalence of incomplete primary schools in some
  countries, e.g. Zambia and Mozambique

5
Multi-grade Classes an inevitable option

• MGT is not a new idea nor a prescribed approach
  for developing countries.
• In Africa, MGT is probably more common than we
  realise or care to admit.
• Some illustrations
• Ethiopia Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP
  III) 2005/06-2009/10
• MGT shall be enhanced for improving

6
Multi-grade Classes an inevitable option

• access and internal efficiency of the first
  cycle of primary education for hard-to-reach
  remote rural communities, sparse settlement
  areas, pastoralists, semi-agriculturalist
  societies
• Appropriate training courses and material
  development shall also be made for teachers
• Teachers shall also be trained in pedagogy and
  management for MGT

7
Multi-grade Classes an inevitable option

• Zambia, MGT was introduced to
• Increase access to education provision to
  disadvantaged areas
• Increase access to learning in understaffed
  schools
• Maximise use of available teachers and classroom
  space.

8
Multi-grade Classes an inevitable option

• Tanzania
• Education and Training Policy (1995) and Primary
  Education Development Plan put emphasis on
  quality education and equitable access to primary
  education.

9
MGT alternate pedagogic tool to improve quality
education

• MGT programme demonstrates that pedagogy is about
  what and how teachers teach.
• It analyses the core of learning and question the
  age grade system of formal education delivery.
• All teaching and learning is multi-grade teaching.

10
Multi-grade Classes an inevitable option

• Even in a mono-grade class there is always a
  considerable range of interests, abilities,
  maturity and needs.
• Paradigm shift from teacher to learner-centred is
  a main feature of MGT.
• Multi-grade makes it possible to provide basic
  education for small and scattered settlements.
• Small moving populations such as nomadic people
  create the need for MGT.

11
Multi-grade Teaching and Rural Education

• Socio-economic factors in rural and sparsely
  populated communities have often changed the
  traditional way of organising schooling.
• MGT is a workable alternative to traditional
  modes of teaching it caters for the needs of
  teachers and learners in rural areas.

12
Policy implications

• For children to learn effectively in MG
  environment teachers need to be
• well organised
• well resourced
• well trained and hold positive attitudes on MGT
• Key challenges to be addressed

13
Policy implications

• The Policy Challenge
• MGT as an important strategy that can improve the
  quality of teaching and learning.
• To mainstream MG courses within existing pre and
  in-service training programmes.
• Changing Attitudes
• To develop positive attitudes among teachers,
  parents and education officers of the value of
  MGT

14
Policy implications

• The Curriculum Change
• Appropriate teaching learning methodology.
• Teachers should be skilled to handle combined
  grades.
• Resource Challenge
• To design, reproduce and distribute of self-study
  materials.
• To establish mechanisms for regular supervision,
  monitoring and support at regional/district and
  teacher/classroom level.

15
Policy implications

• To define minimum standards and benchmarks for
  pupils learning achievement assessment.
• To define minimum standards and benchmarks for
  physical facilities (classrooms size and set up,
  equipment, water and sanitation toilets
  particularly for girls).
• Introduction of ICTs in education use of
  Distance Education methods to enhance MGT.

16
Conclusion

• Investment in the skills of MGT should be seen as
  contributing to the goal of quality basic
  education for all.