Surat: In a significant move to tighten safety regulations, the education department has begun the process of derecognizing 23 private primary schools in Surat city and district. These schools reportedly failed to submit the mandatory Fire NOC (No Objection Certificate) and mock drill reports to the District Education Officer (DEO), prompting serious concern and subsequent action from the authorities.
According to DEO Bhagirath Parmar, compliance with fire safety norms is now compulsory as per a directive from the Gujarat High Court and the state education department. He made it clear that schools not submitting valid fire safety documentation will be denied the ability to collect 10th and 12th-grade marksheets.
The department revealed that while students and school administrators are currently approaching the DEO office to collect exam results, schools lacking the required documentation are being warned that their results may be withheld.
An inspection revealed that the 23 schools in question either failed to obtain the fire NOC altogether or submitted outdated or incomplete documents, rendering them invalid. As a result, the department has issued formal notices and initiated an immediate investigation.
To ensure transparency in the matter, the DEO office has formed a public committee comprising journalists, local councillors, educators, and Class-II officers. This committee will conduct physical inspections of the schools and assess their fire safety arrangements. Schools found without valid fire safety certifications will face revocation of their operating licenses.
The education department has reiterated that no leniency will be shown in matters concerning fire safety in the future. All schools have been instructed to submit the necessary documents without delay or risk disqualification of their students from receiving exam results.
