Qatar authorities shut down four unlicensed nurseries.

Manama The education ministry has shut down four unlicensed nurseries and taken legal action against their owners.

The move was attributed to a drive by the ministry to address decisively all forms of violations by education and learning institutes. It also aimed at boosting security and safety standards, according to the ministry.

The ministry said that one of the four nurseries doubled as an institute for private tuition in the evening.

Private lessons have turned into a highly lucrative business in Bahrain. They reached their peak this month as thousands of students sat for the end of the academic year exams.

Seven other nurseries were warned for moving to new premises without alerting the education ministry and obtaining the proper licences, the ministry said on Thursday.

"The education ministry has pledged a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation and will monitor closely all places of learning," the ministry said. "In case of non-compliance with the laws and regulations, there will be appropriate procedures."

Last month, 19 people, including 13 children, died in a blaze at a day-care centre at the Villaggio Mall in Doha. An ad-hoc investigation commission listed a catalogue of human and technical failures and issued a series of recommendations. Crown Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani called for their immediate implementation.

The tragedy prompted the Qatari officials to launch inspections of all public places to ensure they were well equipped and their staff adequately trained to deal with emergencies.

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