Gujarat Congress has opposed an education department circular regulating visits to schools and photography on school premises, arguing that child-safety protections should not restrict parents, journalists and citizens from examining conditions in government schools.
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said the party supported measures to protect children’s safety and privacy but objected to what he described as excessive restrictions on public access and documentation. His remarks were reported by the Times of India – Ahmedabad.
Doshi alleged that the state’s government-school system was facing significant staffing and infrastructure shortages. He cited around 40,000 teacher vacancies, approximately 42,000 dilapidated classrooms and nearly 3,000 schools operating with only one teacher. The figures were presented by him as evidence of deficiencies requiring public scrutiny; the supplied report does not include an independent verification or government response to those numbers.
The education department circular’s reported restrictions have raised a question about how schools can balance child protection with transparency. Doshi said rules governing visits and photography should be reviewed so that children’s privacy is protected without preventing parents, journalists and citizens from documenting problems in public institutions.
He also called for the state government to take steps beyond regulating cameras and school visits. These included faster teacher recruitment, repairs to unsafe school buildings, and improvements to drinking water and sanitation facilities in government schools.
The dispute places school premises at the centre of two administrative responsibilities: protecting children from unauthorised exposure and ensuring that publicly funded institutions remain open to legitimate scrutiny. The supplied report does not specify the circular’s effective date, the exact restrictions imposed, the process for obtaining permission to visit schools, or the education department’s response to the Congress criticism.
Doshi said the circular should undergo an immediate review and be replaced, if necessary, with rules that are transparent and proportionate. The next reported step is the demand for a review of the education department’s instructions, alongside action on teacher recruitment, building repairs, drinking water and sanitation arrangements.
