The Gujarat government has barred outsiders from entering government school premises without prior written permission from the institution’s head and made the principal’s written approval mandatory for any photography or videography involving students or teachers.
Access to classrooms, laboratories, libraries, playgrounds, and toilets where students are present would require prior written permission. Also, they must be accompanied by school officials at all times during the visit. All visitors must log their details in an entry register, according to the state education department circular dated October 21.
The department has cited the government’s responsibility to protect children under the principle of in loco parentis, under which the state assumes responsibilities similar to those of a parent. The circular also cites safety guidelines issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and a Supreme Court verdict recognising privacy as a fundamental right. “Photography, videography, interviews, audio recording or live-streaming of students, teachers or school activities shall not be carried out without the prior written permission of the Principal. “Any external person shall obtain prior written permission from the principal or head of the Institution to enter the school premises. To be sure, the Rajasthan government and several districts in Uttar Pradesh have issued similar orders over the past three months prohibiting outsiders from entering government schools.
Such activities may be permitted only for lawful purposes,” the circular said. Only government officials who are duly authorised…. to perform their official duties shall be exempted,” the circular said. Rajasthan issued the restriction ahead of much-publicised visits by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders to government schools in the state under its “School Theek Karo” (fix schools) campaign. Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said the government had no right to hide administrative failures in the name of child safety, adding that restrictions on cameras would not address teacher shortages, the condition of classrooms or the lack of facilities in schools.
The Gujarat directive triggered sharp political reactions, with the opposition Congress accusing the state of using child safety as a shield to block public scrutiny of decaying school infrastructure.
