The Cosmo City Primary School No 1 pupil was left wearing panties, a school shirt and jersey for the entire day, The Star reported.

She was allegedly instructed to strip because she wore an "incorrect" uniform to school on Tuesday.

According to her mother, who cannot be named to protect the girl's identity, the Grade Four pupil wore her long, grey trousers to school instead of a school skirt because it was wet from the rain the day before.

The mother told the newspaper that her daughter was forced to go home without her trousers because they had been misplaced.

School principal Kgomotso Khumalo denied the allegations. All she had done was make the pupil stand under a carport until 10am, she said, adding that the girl was one of 70 pupils who had worn the incorrect uniform.

"I told them 'you are dressed like a circus'. What I usually do is ask them to stand under the carport until break at 10am and then they go back to class. I then give them a letter for their parents."

However, Khumalo admitted that she had not give any of the pupils letters on Tuesday.

Gauteng Department of Education spokesman Charles Phahlane said no pupil should be humiliated at school. He told the newspaper the department would investigate.