Six Grade 10 pupils at Katjinakatji Senior Secondary School in the Kavango West region were injured after a teacher reportedly punished them by forcing them to crawl on the ground for nearly 30 minutes.

The incident, which left the pupils with injuries to their knees, occurred last Saturday during a drama class rehearsal.

The teacher allegedly mistook the students' activity for misbehaviour.

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Katjinakatji Senior Secondary School principal Sebedius Sihungu confirms that the six injured girls - who were part of a group of 10 pupils in the class - received treatment at a local clinic and only returned to school on Thursday.

"It's really regrettable that this incident happened. This is not what the school is advocating for," Sihungu said on Friday.

He confirmed that the matter has been reported to the regional directorate of education, which is expected to make an official statement.

All involved parties, including the teacher and pupils, were required to submit written accounts of the incident. These have been forwarded to the inspector in the Katjinakatji circuit, who is expected to submit a comprehensive report to the director of education.

Sihungu stated that the school also contacted the parents of all 10 girls, although two could not be reached. Two parents visited the school in person to express their concerns.

Among the concerned parents was Swapo activist Paulus Karembe, whose daughter was one of the affected pupils.

"This is not why I send my daughter to school. How would the teacher in question feel if this had happened to his own flesh and blood? This is really bad, and as a parent, I want the incident to be properly handled," he says.

The principal advised parents that, beyond the school's internal processes, they are within their rights to open a formal case against the teacher if they choose to pursue legal action.