State moots ‘hub and spoke’ model to tide over disparities in school education
Around 8-10 schools located in the same area and specialising in sports, cultural activities, personality development or other fields will be clubbed
Mumbai: Following widespread criticism of its ‘cluster of schools’ concept, the school education department in Maharashtra is considering a ‘hub and spoke’ model for integrated development of all schools in the state. Under this model, around 8-10 schools located in the same area and specialising in sports, cultural activities, personality development or other fields will be clubbed so that the facilities are available to all students via interchange programmes.

A proposal on the ‘hub and spoke’ model was recently presented before school education minister Dada Bhuse and is likely to be presented before chief minister Devendra Fadnavis soon. The model, which will be implemented in 65,000 primary and secondary government schools in the state, will help address learning disparities and integrate schools with fewer than 20 students which had been slated for closure earlier, said officials.
“Around 8-10 schools in the same area will be integrated based on geotagging reports, infrastructure, and number of students. Some schools may have good infrastructure, others may have good sports facilities while a few might be implementing innovative concepts for students. Students of schools within the same group will be ferried to these institutions so they can avail the facilities,” said an official from the department.
The officer clarified that unlike the earlier ‘cluster of schools’ model, 17,600 schools in rural Maharashtra with fewer than 20 students would not be shut down. Instead, once geotagging of all schools is completed within the next few months, a transportation system would be put in place to ensure students from such schools are not deprived of learning opportunities.
“Appointment of multiple teachers in schools with few students does not make sense. But at the same time, students in such schools cannot be deprived of quality education. The hub and spoke is apt, as it will enable us to continue imparting quality education to them without shutting schools down,” the officer said.
The state government is also planning to introduce the ‘CM Shri’ scheme for schools on the lines of the PM Shri scheme being implemented by the central government for the past two years.
Under the PM Shri scheme, schools that comply with parameters of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan are provided ₹1.8 crore each for overall development. In Maharashtra, 827 schools are enrolled under the scheme and the central government has released ₹71 crore towards their development in the current financial year.
“The CM Shri scheme will be implemented along the same lines and selected schools will be given special funding for overall development,” said the officer quoted earlier.
Another officer from the department said that one of the two schemes would be added to the war-room project list for better implementation.

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