A Northern Tasmanian school placed a young girl with a disability in an opened-up cupboard box to isolate her from classmates and manage her behaviour.
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The incident was revealed by Labor in Parliament on Tuesday.
Labor’s education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne said the school had since ditched the use of the cardboard barrier and instead the girl now spent most of her time in an office away from other children.
She said the girl had been suspended from school three times in one year with two suspensions a week apart.
Ms O’Byrne said it was clear recommendations from a 2014 review into supports for students with disabilities were not being met or driven by Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff.
She said the Education Department had been aware of the situation for ten months and the girl had long waited for a behavioural management plan to be implemented.
"It is entirely inappropriate that a grade two child should be suspended three times and then not be on an appropriate management plan to support her in her education," Ms O’Byrne said.
"The school clearly needs more resources to be able to respond to this appropriately.
"If we can't support her now then we're clearly not giving her the pathway she not only deserves but is absolutely entitled to."
Mr Rockliff told Parliament on Wednesday he would need to take advice on why the girl’s behaviour had been controlled in that particular way.
“We will make sure that we improve the circumstances within that school to ensure that never happens again,” he said.
Mr Rockliff said the school had used professional support staff for functional behavioural assessment to inform a behaviour management plan for the young girl.
“We are committed to supporting schools to become increasingly disability ready and responsive to meet the demands of all students which is why our government has invested in providing liaison and mediation services to support schools and families.”
A Education Department spokesperson said a teacher’s aide was provided to the school as soon as the department was made aware of the situation.
“Anyone with complex behavioural needs are always supported in schools through learning plans,” they said.
The spokesperson said suspensions were always used in schools as a last resort.