Multi-grade Program in the Philippines In the Philippines, the first mission schools were organized as multi-grade schools while the single grade schooling was introduced during the early 1990s by the Americans. Multi-grade schools were organized as a matter of necessity for remote barangays. Aside from the limited enrolment, the distance of the barangay to a school, teacher shortage, lack of funds for school buildings and other facilities also led to the organization of multi-grade schools in the different parts of the country. In 2013, about 254 teachers underwent training in handling multi-grade classes in the province of Kalinga. According to Dr. Marylinda Santos of the Department of Education Kalinga, the three- day training was being conducted per batch from May 16 to May 25, 2013. The training aims to capacitate and equip teachers with the needed skills and knowledge in handling a mul-grade class to manage their curriculum, classes, and schedules. Muli-grade classes with at least 30 students are the usual case of the fariung areas in most provinces of the Philippines where the total number of enrolees could only be accommodated 2s one or two classes. A multi-grade teacher would be handling classes belonging to Grades 1 to 3 and Grades 4 to 6. But for the areas with only 30 or below a total of enrolees, one teacher would have to accommodate all the pupils. ‘The Department of Education requires that each teacher should handle at least 45 pupils in a regular class, suggesting that those accommodating only a few should find a solution to combine their classes to utlize the excess manpower for those needing more teachers. ‘The Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) conceptualized the Mult-grade Program in the Philippine Education (MPPE) to improve access to a quality elementary education through the opening of multi-grade classes and completion of incomplete schools in far-flung barangays. Other Supporting Programs include the following: 4. Multi-grade Demonstration Schools Projects (MDSP) ‘The Multi-grade Demonstration School Projects (MDSP) was organized in selected divisions of the country with financial assistance from UNICEF. The project aimed to improve the quality of instruction and thus improve the overall achievement levels of pupils in MG schools.‘2. DepEd-CCFPI Little Red Schoolhouse Project The DepEd-BEE and Coca-Cola Foundation ay Philippines, Inc., organized the Little Red Schoolhouse Project in 1997. The project components included the construction of 50 three-room school buidings with toilet facil in each room, water system and furnishings, three phases training for mult- grade teachers, coordinators, and school heads on MG instruction and the capacity building program for the community. Le 3. Search for Multi-grade Teacher Achiever The search for Multi-grade Teacher Achiever which ‘was started in 2000 is a biennial quest for the most outstanding Flipino teacher assigned in MG schools in the country. 4, Pupil Learning Enhancement Program (PLEP) PLEP is @ support program (1896-2000) for the universalization of quelity primary education through the strengthening of the Mult-grade Program in Philippine Education (MPPE) with assistance from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). 5. Congress on Multi-grade Education The first Multi-grade Congress was conducted in 2004 This activity is in consonance with the Department of Education's policy on improving access and quality in elementary education. Congress aimed to: raise awareness of participants on the mult-grade program in the Philippines and other countries; enhance their knowledge on effective instructional strategies and best practices to improve mult- grade instruction; and share among themselves effective practices in managing and supervising mut-grade schools.6. The Multi-grade School Training Video This Project is a documentary video on mult-grade teaching practices. It shows effective teaching strategies and other important information about the mult-grade schools. It serves as an ‘orientation and in-service training material on Multi-grade instruction for multi-grade teachers and school administrators. It could be used during training sessions in schools, divisions, or regions or a self-learning video for new Multi-grade teachers. All these programs do not only provide training, instructional materials, and school buildings but also encourage community support schemes to provide the needed education forall school- aged children in the country.