A teacher has been detained for allegedly sexually assaulting girls at a primary school, local authorities announced on Tuesday.

Zeng Xingming, a mathematics teacher at Puman Central Primary School in Jiahe county, Hunan province, confessed to acts of obscenity with several pupils, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The allegations came to light after Jiang Heng, a teacher at the same school, was told by a parent that Zeng had sexually assaulted the pupil.

Jiang reported the case to the school after six students in the class said they had been assaulted by Zeng.

The principal of the school was suspended from duty earlier, Xinhua reported.