One of the parents of four black grade R pupils who were separated from their white classmates at Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke in North West last week, said he was troubled by the seating arrangement when he brought his son to class.

Thabiso Maholwane yesterday said his son was the last to enter the classroom on the day the schools opened last Wednesday.

"When I entered the classroom, I saw black pupils sitting at an isolated table and the setup was completed by my child," Maholwane said.

He said as a concerned parent, he asked the class teacher for an explanation about the setup in the class.

"She said it was a 'temporary thing'. She told me she wanted black pupils to get used to their new setting on their first day of school and that she will ultimately join them with 'other' pupils."

He was speaking for the first time about the incident after North West education MEC Sello Lehari called parents into a meeting yesterday.

Lehari said both parents and their children will receive counselling. Residents in Schweizer-Reneke ran amok last week after a picture showing black children separated from their white classmates went viral on social media.

Maholwane said: "I felt that she was discriminating against black children. I felt bad ... taking my child there I thought his rights would be protected but after seeing that setup, I felt otherwise."

Lehari has since pleaded with all parents to bring their children back to school.

"I have commissioned an investigation and your children are safe here, please bring back your children to school," he pleaded with parents.

He said police will conduct patrols around the school daily to ensure their safety.

Yesterday, schooling started normally but children were released early due to a small group of residents who besieged the school to try and disrupt Lehari's meeting with the parents.

Reacting to what Elana Barkhuizen - the suspended teacher from the school - and Solidarity union had said (that her suspension was illegal), Lehari said he was not the one who had suspended her.

He said what he did was just to support the decision taken by the school governing body (SGB) after the picture she took sparked outrage around the town. "But I support the SGB for suspending her," he said.

Barkhuizen said she was suspended unlawfully and will fight the suspension. She said she did not manipulate anything and that her crime was only to take the picture that raised racial tensions.

Lehari said he was not concerned about what she said.

"I respect the law and if she is suspended - either lawfully or unlawfully - it is the issue of the SGB. That teacher is responsible for taking care of our learners, so I am supporting the SGB decision until the finalisation of the case."