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Multigrade schools combine students of different ages and different abilities in one classroom, under the
direction of one teacher. Multigrade schools are supported by a number of World Bank projects. The purpose of
this paper is to increase staff awareness of the complexity of such components and of the scope for economic and pedagogical benefits that can be derived if such components are properly designed. The paper aims to give staff a clear picture of what multigrade teaching involves, and to help them acquire the tools to assess under what circumstances multigrade teaching should be promoted. It stresses the point that building a successful multigrade school program involves much more than providing hardware and developing administrative structures: pedagogical techniques and outcomes form the core of multigrade teaching.

Multigrade instruction is a reality in both developing and industrialized countries. But current systems of
administration and teacher preparation tend to ignore it, with consequences for the whole educational system.
Educational administrators must focus more on strategies that affect actual teacher behavior, and changing the way teachers view themselves and are viewed by central authorities. The teacher's role should be one of a resource person, a manager and facilitator of the learning process.

There are four critical elements to consider in supporting multigrade schools, the first of which is the most
important:

(1) teachers need to adopt more effective teaching practices to make multigrade schools function
properly;

(2) to do so, they require adequate material and physical inputs of which programmed learning materials
and textbooks are of overwhelming importance;

(3) local and regional support networks need to be developed among
teachers; and

(4) there must be national level support for pilot programs, including both financial support and active
involvement of a few key multigrade advocates. National level policy decisions with regard to teacher and
administratort raining, teacher recruitmenta nd support, and materialsd evelopmenta nd supplyt o support multigrade schools become unavoidable when the pilot program leads to large scale expansion.

Every child has a right to an education. Multi-grade classes and single teacher schools have made it possible for many children in remote rural areas and communities to exercise this right. These classes exist in both developing and developed countries. In countries such as Norway and France, they have worked reasonably well.
However, in many developing countries, these classes and schools often lack educational materials, appropriately trained teachers and effective supervision. The teachers rarely receive training in how
to deal with them, and are ill-prepared for managing large numbers of pupils, of different ages and levels of learning, that they confront in the classes.

If progress is to be made towards Education for All, the challenges of multi-grade classes and single teacher schools must be urgently met. Children in small communities must have access to good quality education.

To this end, in cooperation with various institutions, UNESCO conducted a series of case studies in fourteen countries namely: Australia, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, China, Korea, France, Greece, Lesotho, Mali, the Philippines, Portugal, Tanzania, Russia and Zaire. Following this experience, UNESCO, jointly with the Royal Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs in Norway, initiated a programme to enhance the effectiveness of multi-grade classes and single-teacher schools. On the basis of information gained through the case studies, an interregional workshop on “Single-Teacher Schools and Multi-grade classes” was held in Lilleham-mer, .N orway 2 to 6 September 1996.

The participants were drawn from the countries in which the studies were undertaken. Norway was considered an apt partner because of its long history of offering education in small effective schools. The participants discussed the issues of multi-grade classes and single teacher schools and decided that it was necessary to prepare a handbook based on the experiences of the countries. The two volumes of this handbook reflect the shared experiences of the workshop. They are not intended to replace existing materials in use in formal teacher education courses, but for use in the in-service training of teachers working in multi-grade schools, and as a handy daily reference book for them.

With an eye on the future, UNICEF is also integrating learning from past experience. The Independent Review of UNICEF’s Operational Response to the January 2010 Earthquake in Haïti identifi ed key internal, systemic factors that infl uenced - positively and negatively - UNICEF’s collective response during the fi rst three months . These findings have informed UNICEF’s programmatic and operational planning and action at the country level. This has
contributed to UNICEF’s forward looking approach, sharpening the focus on long-term recovery and development, with a sustained application of lessons learned.

The goal of Primary Sources 2012 is to place teachers’ voices at the center of the conversation on education reform by sharing their thoughts and opinions with the public, the media, and education leaders.

The report seeks to
• Identify the supports and tools that directly impact student achievement and
teacher retention.
• Identify the way teachers benchmark their success – and that of their students.
• Explore teacher views on teaching – where the practice of teaching stands today
and how it should evolve to suit the changing needs of students and teachers.
• Identify the tools and resources necessary to attract and retain good teachers.