Bahrain Mirror: Local Bahraini Al-Wasat newspaper said that the graduate students' parents continued to file complaints about the Interior Ministry's distribution of scholarships, after many top-grade graduate students' of GPA percentages of over 98% were given scholarships in their least desirable major studies, while students with less percentages were given scholarships in medicine.

"Many graduates received [scholarships] in their least wanted major studies, as the Education Ministry insists that students list 12 preferences. This led many students to get scholarships in majors they do not want," added the parents.

"I was surprised that my daughter who has a GPA of 98.1% got her last preference in the least, while her friend with a GPA of 96% received a scholarship in medicine. We don't know the standards that the ministry is basing its decisions on," one of the parents told the newspaper.

The graduates with high GPAs who didn't receive scholarships in their desired majors belong to the Shiite sect, which is suffering from discrimination on many levels. This discrimination has intensified lately in the distribution of scholarships, as the authorities attempt to discourage the Shiite-majority in the country, who demand putting an end to the ruling Al Khalifa family's monopoly over power.

Arabic Version