1. Introduction

All over the world there are teachers teaching children in multi-grade classrooms. This is often because there are not enough children in a particular grade level to make up one class, so two or more grade levels are put together. A multi-grade class therefore has two or three grades in one classroom with one teacher. The class has the same teacher for the whole school year. It is made up of children of different ages and stages of development. The organization of children in different grades into a multi-grade class means that children can be encouraged to learn together as well as be supported in developing independent learning skills. While there can be many advantages to working and learning in a multi-grade classroom, there are also many challenges especially for the teachers. Therefore teachers require specialized training in order to be able to do teach in a multi-grade classroom effectively.

2. Primary Objectives

• To provide educational services for children in areas where there are not enough children to require a classroom and teacher per year level.

3. Target group

Children in remote areas.

4. Information on Implementation

Often teachers in remote areas, where there are not enough children (or teachers) to have separate classes for each grade level, are already doing multi-grade teaching whether they are aware of it or not. Often they have little or no training in this area and struggle to meet the needs of the many different age and developmental levels. In the ESCUP program, training was initially provided for multi-grade teachers. This training covered: important topics such as reorganizing the curriculum; organization of learning; group work; peer teaching; children working independently; experiences and resources; and assessment. Schools identified the teachers who require training in multi-grade teaching and they attended a 1 1/2 day workshop, followed by another one day workshop. Teachers were also provided with materials for developing resources and use in the classroom. Now the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (MoEYS) provides all multi-grade teachers in Cambodia with 5 day training, but do not provide teachers with classroom materials. So ESCUP no longer trains the multi-grade teachers in their target areas but does provide them with classroom materials.

5. Resources Needed

• Teacher Training - Provided through ESCUP central budget
• Teaching aids - $20 per teacher