Manama: Bahrain’s education ministry has sacked 79 employees for their alleged role in preventing regular instruction, a spokesperson has said.
“The decision to dismiss the 79 people was taken by the disciplinary board,” Fawaz Al Sherooqi said on Thursday.
“The ministry employs 17,600 people and only those who were sacked were guilty of not allowing the educational institutions to work normally and of depriving people of their right to education. Their actions were in violation of the local civil service regulations and international covenants,” the official said.
Schools and the University of Bahrain were the sites for much of the drama that unfolded during the unrest that hit the country for four weeks, from mid-February to mid-March.
Students and teachers at the public high, intermediate and elementary schools and at the university were sharply divided along sectarian lines and their attitudes and statements were a strong indication of the cracks that emerged within the Bahraini society.
Protestors said that the schools reacted spontaneously to the protest movement and students willingly joined demonstrations.
However, the authorities said that strikes, walkouts and demonstrations were carefully planned by protest leaders and blamed the Bahrain Teachers’ Association for what it called its negative role and for turning its professional goals into political aspirations.
The ministry did not give details on the nature of the jobs held by the sacked employees.
