Ashburton College principal Ross Preece told the The New Zealand Herald the Year 13 student was working in the school’s automotive workshop and using a grinder.
He said the boy wasn’t wearing a protective apron and managed to set fire to his clothes.
Pupils were shocked as they watched the incident, he said.
“The class are fine and the student was standing conscious, the family have been notified.
“Lesson learned, but he’s sustained a burn around his midriff.”
Preece said the school would be conducting a follow-up process to determine of the circumstances of the accident.
“I was speaking to one of his classmates and he said the class have been told many times to wear the correct PPE.”
St John said it responded to the incident with an ambulance and said the person involved had serious injuries.
The boy was taken to Christchurch Hospital for treatment.
