A Government school for girls in Bahrain has been temporarily closed after rumours sparked clashes on Thursday, said the Education Ministry.

The Saar Secondary Girls School will remain closed from Sunday until further notice as a precaution after rumours that the headmistress had allowed people to bring sticks into the school sparked clashes, the ministry said last night.

A probe has been launched so that those involved can be held to account, the ministry said.

The rumours spread fear among parents who stormed the headmistress' office, it said. The ministry said several sources had suggested these rumours aimed to sow division among the students.

Separately, more than 30 students at Yathreb Intermediate Girls School left their classes and gathered at the school's yard and chanted political slogans, which had a negative impact on studies.

The ministry has now decided to intensify communication with parents and hold them responsible for their children's behaviour.

It will also intensify the presence of ministry officials to help solve disputes and avert similar incidents.

The ministry is planning to launch a major awareness campaign targeting schoolchildren and their parents.

It will aim to highlight the need to protect national educational achievements, preserve the social fabric of the Bahraini society and promote a culture of tolerance, moderation and unity, the ministry said.

Parents are being urged to assume their responsibilities in helping prevent politics from entering the classroom.

The awareness push will involve interaction with education experts and members of the intelligentia, the ministry said.

Most schools in the kingdom functioned normally yesterday, except a few in which students staged demonstrations and raised political slogans, it said.

Some students refused to enter schools and joined other people in a protest outside the ministry's main gain, in Isa Town, as part of a sit-in called by the Bahrain Teachers Society, the ministry said.

The students were protesting against recent measures taken by the ministry of closing school gates and requesting students against leaving before the end of the school day, it said. The measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of the students.

It said the sit-in blocked traffic in front of the ministry and prevented its staff and others from entering or leaving the complex.

The ministry also regretted the involvement of students, including those from the primary section, at the sit-in.-TradeArabia News Service