The Department of Education (DepEd) continues to hold multigrade classes in an effort to ensure that Filipino students in remote areas complete their basic education.
A multigrade class consists of two or more different grade levels in a single grade classroom manned by one teacher for an entire school year.
It is often implemented in elementary schools located at remote and sparsely-populated localities.
Teachers play an important role in the society. As educators they are curriculum developers, the instructional and resource managers and the facilitators of learning.
Most new teachers are often assigned to handle a multigrade class, a situation they did not experience during their teacher training days. Through actual study in a day to day class situation teachers can adjust and find ways and means to make teaching interesting and effective. But it cannot a be denied that it’s really a sacrifice for a multigrade classroom teacher, since she does the work of two to three teachers. She sleeps late in the evening and wakes up early at dawn just to finish the lesson plan for that day. In teaching the pupils she tries to cope with the objectives through she has only a shorter time allotted for each grade. It is impossible and not at all appropriate to expect children to work in absolute silence. Very often group activities require discussion among children and a certain amount of movement.
In reality there are advantages, disadvantages and challenges of multigrade class which teachers concerned are facing and it’s a task which is part of a game in life. Kudos to all Multigrade Teachers.
Daria C. Membreve
Cantalid Primary School
Balilihan District
Balilihan, Bohol
