Manama: Bahrain’s education ministry has distanced itself from the students’ street demonstrations, saying that its responsibilities were confined to the school perimeters.
"Our responsibility is to provide a safe learning environment," an education ministry spokesperson said. "However, in case students do not comply with the regulations governing schools, the parents have to assume the responsibility and should force their children to comply with the rules that promote stability."
Several students have been boycotting classes to join or form demonstrations at the gates of the education and information ministries, separated by one street.
Some of the students are from elementary schools and their slogans have been invariably political, the ministry said.
According to a statement on Thursday, scuffles disrupted classes in two schools in mixed Sunni-Shiite areas.
"At Yathrab Middle School in Hamad Town, 30 girls assembled in the yard to chant political slogans and their attitude was rejected by fellow students who shouted and screamed at them. The standoff stalled classes,” the ministry said.
In nearby Saar, parents went to Saar Girls High School to take their daughters home following allegations that they were under the threat of an impending attack by people carrying sticks who were allowed into the building by the principal, the ministry said.
A medical source said that following reports of scuffles between students, two ambulances were moved to the school and treated ten cases, mostly panic-related. "There were no major injuries and all cases were treated on site by paramedics. No further treatment was required,” the source said.
According to the ministry, “some schools could not have a regular day after students refused to enter and preferred to take part in a demonstration in front of the ministry.”
Bahrain has more than 200 public schools for around 127,000 students.
