A Canberra school principal has been suspended after a cage-like structure was found in a classroom, apparently to accommodate an autistic student.
ACT Education minister Joy Burch says she is "immensely disappointed, disturbed and quite frankly disgusted" the two metre cage, made of pool fencing, was allowed in the classroom.
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Education department officials have launched an investigation following a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
The structure was put up on March 10 and removed on March 17, after the head of the education directorate and the minister's office were alerted to the complaint.
It was built for a specific student but it's not yet known if it was actually used.
"Whether it was in the school for 17 days, 17 minutes or 17 seconds, it had no place there," Ms Burch told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.
"Words can't put into place the absolute disappointment and horror I have that in our schools that anyone would consider a structure of this nature in any way, shape or form acceptable."
The structure was apparently built as a withdrawal space for the student, who has not been identified along with his school to protect his privacy.
Education director-general Diane Joseph said withdrawal spaces were commonly used to deal with children with behavioural issues and special needs.
However, they usually took a very different form, such as a safe reading corner separated from the main classroom, a teaching assistant taking a student for a walk in school grounds or taking a group of students into a smaller area.
Ms Joseph said the offending structure was "fairly confronting-looking" and that very poor decision making had led to its construction.
The student in question has remained at the school.
He and his family have been offered support and two extra special-needs teachers are now working at the school.
Parents of other students at the school have been informed of the structure's removal and the extra support available.
