Cluster schools are formed when neighbouring schools with less than 20 students are merged together. The goal of clustering schools is to increase the quality of education.
Earlier, the state education commissioner, Suraj Mandhare, had asked education officers to submit proposals for setting up cluster schools. Following the commissioner’s call, the department received proposals from several districts to establish 163 primary cluster schools.
In July, the state government launched a new school clustering programme aimed at improving the quality of education in government schools. It involved merging smaller schools with nearby larger schools.
There are approximately 1.10 lakh schools in the state, managed by various organizations. Over 65,000 of these are overseen by local governments.
Under the New Education Policy (NEP), students are entitled to 18 different facilities, including laboratories, libraries, e-learning facilities, and playgrounds. The state government is currently running a pilot project for cluster schools in the districts of Panshet in Pune and Toranmal in Nandurbar.
One of the 163 cluster schools is being planned in Dehne village in Shahapur tehsil in Thane district too. Zilla Parishad School Dehane currently has two teachers and 74 students. It will become part of a cluster of six schools.
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