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Modeling Optimization for School Network in Conditions of Rural Depopulation (the Case of the Yelabuga District in the Republic of Tatarstan)

  • SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY
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Abstract—

The settlement pattern is undergoing dramatic transformation involving rural depopulation, agglomeration, and urbanization processes and migration to large cities, therefore spatial organization of some spheres of life activity becomes a major issue. In particular, shrinkage in the number of settlements and their population undermines the effectiveness of the education system in terms of both costs and organization of the educational process. This greatly increases the relevance of logistics issues in the education system regarding the optimization of school bus routing and planning the spatial location of public amenities. This study analyzes the existing spatial organization of the education system in rural areas for the case of one municipality, the Yelabuga municipal district of the Republic of Tatarstan. Based on the results, alternative models for organizing the general education system were developed and their cross-comparison was made with regard to their performance indicators. The optimal models were found to be based on cluster formations with minimized passenger turnover that involve reasonable costs and relatively low transport load on children. Another mechanism for optimizing traffic flows is associated with the development of the existing transport infrastructure, which allows reaching a new level of spatial organization for the system. The results of the study can be applied in regional (municipal) management, forecasting, and design, in territorial and urban planning.

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Notes

  1. See: The Ministry of Education and Science asks to review the criteria for decommissioning school buses. TASS, April 5, 2018. https://tass.ru/obschestvo/5098611.

  2. See: Republican urban planning standards of the Republic of Tatarstan (approved by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan as of December 27, 2013 No. 1071). https://docs.cntd.ru/document/46330718.

  3. This model can be considered as constructed based on a small sample, which is also used in mathematical statistics. The inclusion in the observation of other objects (schools) from other municipalities can also lead to deviations and unreliability of the final equations, which will be due to the peculiarities of tariff regulation in each municipality. Thus, we consider this issue debatable and requiring additional research. In general, the model can be supplemented by educational institutions in comparable municipalities in order to verify and (or) increase the reliability of the obtained dependencies. However, we believe that in considering this system (Yelabuga district) as closed (and the education system of the local level is clearly closed within the boundaries of the municipality), the resulting equations most objectively allow modeling in the specific conditions of a particular municipality.

  4. See Order of the Federal State Statistics Service of November 29, 2018 No. 705 On Approval of the Official Statistical Methodology for Calculating the Main Indicators of Education and Culture Statistics. https://docs.cntd.ru/document/551882283.

  5. See clause 10.3 of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation as of October 23, 1993 No. 1090 (as amended on December 4, 2018) On the Traffic Regulations. http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_2709/.

  6. https://bus.gov.ru.

  7. See: SP 42.13330.2016. Urban planning. Planning and development of urban and rural settlements. Updated edition of SNiP 2.07.01-89*. https://docs.cntd.ru/document/456054209.

  8. According to Price Norms NCS 81-02-03-2017. Aggregated standards of construction prices. Collection No. 03. Objects of Public Education (with amendments). https://files.stroyinf.ru/Data2/1/4293744/4293744758.pdf.

  9. Based on data presented in: Consumption rates for fuels and lubricants in road transport. Rostov-on-Don: Feniks, 2013.

  10. According to a study by the Moscow Automobile and Highway State Technical University. See: Transportation of children: age of buses is reduced. http://5koleso.ru/avtopark/perevozka-detey-avtobusam-snizhayut-vozrast.

  11. See data on the level of wages by occupational groups (based on materials from a sample survey of organizations on the wages of employees by profession and position), October 2017, presented in the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System. https://www.fedstat.ru.

  12. Further the costs are given at 2017 prices.

  13. Calculated based on 1440 min per day.

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Funding

The study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 17-78-10066 “Optimization of the transport and logistics system in Russia and the regions as a tool for sustainable development”).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Perm State National Research University, Perm, Russia

    R. S. Nikolaev

  2. Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia

    D. O. Egorov

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  1. R. S. Nikolaev
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  2. D. O. Egorov
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Correspondence to R. S. Nikolaev or D. O. Egorov.

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Translated by I. Pertsovskaya

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Nikolaev, R.S., Egorov, D.O. Modeling Optimization for School Network in Conditions of Rural Depopulation (the Case of the Yelabuga District in the Republic of Tatarstan). Reg. Res. Russ. 12, 395–413 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079970522700046

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