Five armed men made off with tablets and cellphones amounting to over R200,000 after robbing a teacher and learners at Are-Fadimeng Secondary School in Joubert near Klerksdorp, North West.
The men reportedly tied up a security officer before robbing teachers and learners who were on a Grade 12 weekend study camp on Sunday.
"According to the school report, five armed men gained entry to the school premises at around 4am where 58 learners and a teacher had gathered for an organised weekend camp for 54 Grade 12 physical science learners who were voluntarily joined by five accounting learners," departmental spokesperson Mphata Molokwane said.
He said no sign of forced entry was reported.
"The armed robbers tied the security guard in his guard house and proceeded to where learners and teacher had lodged, tied some up, confiscated their tablets and cellphones and fled."
The teacher and learners were not hurt.
Molokwane said learners were taken to hospital for psychological evaluation as six learners experienced severe shock.
North West member of the executive council for education, Viola Motsumi condemned the incident.
“I am gravely aggrieved of this barbaric act that is deliberately set at drawing an African child backwards,” she said.
“As the North West department of education we are progressively improving the quality of education of learners by exposing our learners through engagements that bridge the technological divide by affording them gadgets for educational purposes,” Motsumi said.
“It seems we live in a society that is contrary to progress of the very African child. This unbecoming behaviour needs to stop. Now we are left with learners with no gadgets and emotionally damaged.”
She called on the South African Police Services to move swiftly in their search and arrest of the five men.
Molokwane said the department would continue to provide psychological support to all learners as from Monday.
IOL