A case of crimen injuria has been registered against a Rosebank Junior School coach who reportedly instructed a group of Grade six pupils to partially strip after money had disappeared from their classroom.

Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the coach admitted to instructing the boys to strip to resolve the issue.

“Accusations of theft was reported to the couch, he then ordered the pupils to go to a changing room to take off their pants to see if they had hidden the money somewhere. This is totally unacceptable, and a proper investigation is currently underway,” she said.

Bronagh said a meeting was held with parents on Monday. The principal has reported that the parents who were present at the meeting accepted the fact that the intention was not to cause embarrassment or humiliation, but rather to try and resolve the theft issue.

Bronagh said similar cases have been reported in recent years which causes concern as all educators are trained to deal with issues in a manner that does not infringe the rights of pupils.

“Teachers are trained on how to deal with certain issues. It is their responsibility to ensure that the rights of the children are always protected and the behaviour that was reported at the school is without a doubt unacceptable,” she stressed.

Since the start of the academic year the province’s schools have been in the spotlight.

Earlier this week three pupils were stabbed following an altercation at a high school in Ceres. Bronagh said the school is a big concern at the department as they have seen a sporadic increase in gang activities at the school.

“The school is a hotspot for gangsters as there are no fences giving them easy access to the school. The department is busy addressing the issue and doing all they can to deploy more security resources to the school as well as better the school infrastructure,” she said.

The department urges community members to respect all schools as a place of learning.