A North West deputy school principal was arrested for allegedly locking four boys in a strong room.
A spokesperson for the provincial Department of Education Elias Malindi said the deputy principal of a secondary school in Jericho north of Brits, allegedly locked the boys in the strong room on Wednesday, for bunking classes.
He said worried parents went to the local police station to open a case of missing children after the boys did not return home after school.
Upon hearing from other learners it turned out the four were locked up by the deputy principal in the strong room in his office as a means of punishment for bunking classes at around 2 pm.
Police searched for the deputy principal for hours but could not find him and eventually sawed down the door at 11 pm.
He said the deputy principal was served with a precautionary suspension letter.
North West education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela condemned the incident and said the learners were getting the necessary counselling.
- African News Agency (ANA)
