Inspection data reveals hundreds of schools in South, West Zones skipped staff verification; failed to meet travel safety guidelines; as per the June 2025 data, schools in North Zone achieved a near-perfect score.
Safety inspections revealed uneven compliance. REPRESENTATION PIC/ISTOCK
Gearing up their security measures, Mumbai’s aided, unaided, and self-financed schools have begun ticking off the guidelines presented to them by the state. As per data submitted to the Office of the Divisional Deputy Director of Education, mid-day learned that all 537 schools in the North Zone (Kurla to Mulund), 418 schools in the South Zone (South Mumbai), and 787 schools in the West Zone (Bandra to Dahisar) were inspected by officials in June 2025 to ensure compliance with safety norms.
Inspectors checked for CCTV installations, the presence of complaint boxes and whether complaints were regularly resolved as per government directives, formation of the Sakhi Savitri Committee, character verification before hiring, travel safety measures for students, a code of conduct for visitors, formation of student safety committees, and whether a safety certificate was displayed prominently in the school.
As per the June 2025 data, schools in North Zone achieved a near-perfect score. “The schools in our zone have shown good progress in all areas, and we are still working on aspects such as complaint boxes. The students remain unaware of this facility, and I personally noticed that some boxes remained unused. This is why the schools are ranking low in this area,” said Mustaq Shaikh, education inspector of the North Zone.
The South and West zones, with 418 and 787 schools respectively, have largely encountered issues in personnel background checks and transportation safety measures. In the South Zone, nearly 188 of 418 schools reported not having conducted background checks while hiring staff. In the West Zone, 457 out of 787 schools reported the same. Speaking to mid-day, Sanjay Javir, the North Zone education inspector, explained: “Processes like police verification and background checks take more time compared to all the other initiatives. This is why the schools haven’t recorded stronger data in those aspects. However, we have held two meetings with all the school principals, asked them to circulate the GR within parent circles, and implement the changes at the earliest.”
The survey also required schools to comply with travel safety norms, including driver verification, GPS systems in buses, and the appointment of female attendants, among others. As many as 369 schools in the West Zone and 254 schools in the South Zone did not comply with all the regulations. “Most private and unaided schools in the zone have an active, functioning Parents Teachers Transport Committee, where timely updates about safety checks are maintained, whether it’s PUCs or driver licence expiry checks. Chances are, a large number of aided schools are contributing to this data,” said Anil Garg, President of the Mumbai School Bus Association.
Building upon the June 25 data, the Education Inspectors are now following up on the progress made by the schools in August 2025. As mid-day previously reported, some Education Inspectors have also nominated two to three principals from each ward to ensure that the maximum number of schools are covered in a short span of time. “These checks are fairly new, and covering 100% per cent of the schools may not be possible for a handful of government officials. This is why we have also asked a few principals to assist us with the checks. If a school isn’t completely prepared with a certain measure, we are also giving them a 15-day period to rectify it,” said an official from the department.
With the basic surveying done, the August checks are meant to ensure that all the nitty-gritties of the safety norms stated in Government Resolution, dated May 13, are being met, state officials. These details include timely CCTV backups, student awareness, among other measures.
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