State plans cluster schools with less than 20 students

Maharashtra's school education department plans to implement 'cluster schools' across the state, bringing together students from over 4,500 schools with fewer than 20 pupils enrolled to provide better education with modern facilities. The government is considering covering travel expenses for students and accommodating teachers from low enrollment schools in other institutions.

Mumbai: In order to overcome lack of infrastructure, lack of good teachers and provide better education to students with modern facilities, the school education department will implement ‘cluster schools’ across the state. This will involve more than 4,500 schools with less than 20 students enrolled.

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According to the sources from the education department, during a recent workshop held in Amby Valley, the education commissioner raised the issue in the presence of school education minister Deepak Kesarkar. There are currently 4,895 such schools across the state, with 8,226 teachers and around 50,000 students. “Although it is the government’s responsibility to provide education for all of these students, the department believes that the low number of students poses challenges to their quality of education and overall development.”

With a successful pilot experiment of ‘cluster schools’ near Panshet in the Pune district, the education department is considering implementing it statewide.

According to the sources, “The proposed cluster schools will bring together students from several schools to a central school located some distance away from the low enrollment area, where they will be provided with educational facilities. The government is also considering covering the travel expenses of these students to ensure they can attend the cluster schools without difficulty. Teachers in low enrollment schools will be accommodated in either the cluster schools or other schools.”