Multigrade education in a rural context

26 March 2019

Education conversations for the future

© Western Cape Government 2012 |

Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the

daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the

head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is

what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. – Nelson Mandela

• Poorly Resourced

• Administrative overload

• Time constraints

• Lack of teacher training

• Difficulty in meeting demands of the Curriculum

© Western Cape Government 2012 |

Historical Perspective of Multigrade schools in South Africa

• Multigrade (MG) education as a necessity or choice

• More prevalent in remote rural and farming areas

• End of apartheid era (1994) – rural schools in the

most impoverished areas for the most poor

• Rural schools are synonymous with poverty and

under-achievement

West Coast Education District

Multigrade Schools

5

Cir 1 Cir 2 Cir 3 Cir 4 Cir 5

7 6 1 9 7

4

1

Total number of MG schools: 30

Total number of MG classes: 20

West Coast

Education District

Multigrade

context

Ensuring quality

education

for every child

© Western Cape Government 2012 |

The National Curriculum in South Africa

• Curriculum revision

• Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS)

• Learner-centred approach to teaching, learning and assessment

• Monograde nature of the Curriculum

SUBJECT HOURS

Home Language 6

First Additional language 5

Mathematics 6

Natural Sciences and Technology 3.5

Social Sciences 3

Life Skills Creative Arts

Physical Education Personal and Social Well-being

4

(1.5)

(1)

(1.5)

TOTAL 27.5

Instructional time in the Intermediate

Phase (Grades 4 – 6):

• Time allocated per grade, per subject

• Progression built in across grades, within the phase

• No curriculum adaptation for MG classes

© Western Cape Government 2012 |

Western Cape Education Department: Systemic Assessments

• International & National Assessments

• Western Cape Education Department (WCED): Systemic Assessments

• Mathematics and Languages

• Grade 3, 6 & 9

• Assessment items are set, administered and marked by external service provider

• Results do not count towards progression decisions at the end of the year

• Detailed analysis per school, per grade, per class group

• Findings to be used to address the gaps in competency levels

District Systemic results 2016-2018

© Western Cape Government 2012 |

Current realities in Multigrade Schools

• Teachers teach each grade at a time as if it is a monograde class

• Teaching of a lesson is at a low to average level – little differentiation

• Learner participation is poor as teachers do not effectively engage them

• Assessment regarded as a “once-off event” – to evaluate instead of enhancing learning

• Seating plan in rows

• Textbook driven

• Chalk and talk methods

Teacher professional development

Professional Learning Communities

Recruitment, induction & Retention

Learner self-esteem, learner direction & learner

self-regulation

Parental involvement

Strategic partnerships

Focus on intellectual quality

Language in the Mathematics classroom

Assessment to enhance teaching and learning

A quality classroom environment

Interpret policy properly

Reflective practice at school level

Reflective practice at district level

Reflective practice at HO level

Advocate importance of the strategy and the subject

Acquire appropriate facilities/resources

Use resources effectively

Use e-learning to deepen knowledge

Use e-learning to deepen understanding

[Agents] [Process]

[Structure][Reflection]

Provincial – Mathematics & Language strategy (2015 – 2019)

PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT

USE OF PRODUCTIVE PEDAGOGIES

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

RESOURCE/FACILITY PROVISION AND USE

© Western Cape Government 2012 |

National & Provincial initiatives

• Adaptation to the Curriculum: integration of content and skills

• Provincial Multigrade Reference group

• Rural Education Policy (draft framework)

• Toolkit

Annual Teaching plan: guideline for Teaching, Learning & Assessment

Lesson Plans: guidelines with suggested methodologies & pedagogies

Adapted Programme of Assessment

• Exemplar Assessment Tasks

No child

will be left behind

Thank you

Dankie

Enkosi