Radio Free Europe reports:
There was a time when teachers in Iran's schools used to give students golden paper stars to encourage them. Nowadays it seems that stars are being given for punishment: the term "students with stars" is used to describe students who have been expelled or suspended from a university. The term became prevalent after several students said university officials had refused to register them for the new academic year and told them that they have "two or three stars." Student groups and activists say more than 100 students have been affected. Ali Nekunesbati is a spokesman for Iran's main reformist student group, Daftar Tahkim Vahdat (the Office To Foster Unity). He says many student activists and members of his group have been marked with stars. "Beside the names that were announced to the universities for enrollment, there was another list in which individuals are marked with either one star, two stars, or three stars," he said. "Who grants these 'stars'? As the head of the admission committee has said the Intelligence Ministry -is involved. We reiterate again that these 'stars' exist." …In recent months dozens of liberal university professors have been forced into early retirement. Many student activists have been summoned to court and several have been arrested.