Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress on Thursday accused the state govt of using child safety as a pretext to conceal shortcomings in govt schools.Opposing an education department circular that regulates school visits and photography, Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said child safety is essential but should not become a tool to restrict parents, journalists, and citizens from exposing deficiencies in public schools. He cited alleged vacancies of around 40,000 teachers, 42,000 dilapidated classrooms and nearly 3,000 schools operating with a single teacher.“There should be an immediate review of the circular and transparent, reasonable rules that protect children’s privacy without undermining public accountability. At the same time, the state govt has a duty to ensure timely teacher recruitment, complete repairs of unsafe school buildings, and improved drinking water and sanitation arrangements. Mere restrictions on cameras will not resolve systemic problems,” he said.
