Gujarat school safety rules have been tightened, with the state education department requiring prior written permission for unauthorised or external persons seeking to enter school premises, according to a circular reported by Nav Gujarat Samay. The measures apply to schools across the state and are intended to protect students’ safety, dignity and privacy.
Under the reported instructions, visitors who are not officially authorised must obtain written approval from the principal or head of the institution before entering a school. Officials who are formally authorised and performing government duties have been exempted from this requirement.
Every visitor entering a school will also have to record complete details in a visitor register at the entrance. The requirement creates a formal record of access and places responsibility on school authorities to monitor who enters the campus and for what purpose.
The circular further restricts access to sensitive areas, including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, hostels, playgrounds and toilets. External persons may enter these areas only with prior permission and in the presence of the principal or an authorised teacher, the report said.
The rules also cover the recording and publication of information about students and school activities. No individual or organisation may photograph, record video or audio, conduct interviews or livestream from a school without the principal’s prior written permission. School authorities have been instructed to ensure that personal information or images of students are not circulated in a way that could compromise their dignity or safety.
The measures place principals at the centre of the school’s access-control system. If a suspicious or unknown person enters without permission or disrupts school functioning, the principal must immediately inform the local police and the district education officer. Principals have also been given the authority to refuse entry to visitors whose presence could harm the educational environment.
The reported instructions invoke existing legal protections, stating that violations may lead to strict action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the Juvenile Justice Act and the Information Technology Act. The report did not specify separate penalties created by the circular itself.
The policy shifts school security beyond physical entry gates by linking visitor management with student privacy, media activity and digital circulation. Its implementation will depend on how consistently schools maintain registers, approve access, supervise visits and respond to breaches. The circular, as reported, requires school principals and education officials to act immediately when unauthorised access or disruption is detected.
