'Unacceptable': Hobart high school criticised after it installs 'cage' for autistic students

The fenced 'play area' for high need students at the Hobart high school. Photo / ABC

Parents of students at a high school in Hobart have complained after a high, lockable fence was installed for high need autistic students.

Parents have called the structure, which was built about a month ago, a "cage" that is "taking away from their (children's) humanity".

The fenced-in area was designed for several teens attending the high school in Hobart's northern suburbs, who are being provided individualised learning programmes, according to the ABC.

Two parents whose children attend the school, but will not be using the fenced in area, called the new enclosure a "cage" and compared it to a jail.

Julian and Kate Edwards, whose children attend the school, said they decided to speak to the ABC because their complaints to the school were being ignored.

"It's an enclosed area with two locked gates with bars that are extremely high and spiked on the top — it's a cage, not a compound, it's a cage," Edwards said.

Inside the fenced off area, the small group of teens has no access to toilets or a drinking fountain. Edwards said the children were being isolated and separated from their peers unnecessarily.

"It's a sad look, it's a bad look," Edwards said, comparing the structure to Risdon Prison Complex near Hobart.

"There has to be other options, you can't just be putting students in a confined area for safety reasons," he said.

"There has to be other ways of inclusive education.

"Surely they could come up with better ideas like sensory rooms that the primary schools use."

This is unacceptable. Not in Australia, not in 2019. It's simply never the answer. We have the expertise and resources in this country to do better and WE MUST. #OurKidsDeserveMore #DisabilityRights #HumanRights #DisabilityRoyalCommission
https://t.co/F8WUZNcGST

— Autism Awareness Aus (@AutismAwareAus) April 7, 2019

The Education Department consulted with parents and medical professionals, "including paediatricians, psychologists and occupational therapists, disability advocates and the students themselves where possible" before they installed the fence, according to a government spokesman.

The department said they chose the fence to match existing fencing at the school.

"There has been some feedback in relation to the appearance of the fence and this has been taken on board," he said.

"Proposed alterations are currently being shared for consultation, to be completed during the term one holiday break."

Kristen Desmond, founder of the Tasmanian Disability Education Reform Lobby, said the structure was "not OK".

"In this day and age it is not good enough, and I don't think people looking at those photos would think that is OK, because it is not OK."

She called for the Education Minister to investigate.

Autism Awareness Australia also expressed disappointment at the fence, tweeting: "This is unacceptable. Not in Australia, not in 2019. It's simply never the answer. We have the expertise and resources in this country to do better and WE MUST."

The Tasmanian Education Minister today responded, saying the "architecture of the fence" would be improved, according to The Hobart Mercury.

"We have specialist schools around Tasmania in our three regions when it comes to autism," Minister Jeremy Rockliff said.

"Next year we're rolling out our new funding model for disability, which applies the resource to the students based on their need.

"It's more funding and that's a good thing for families and students with disabilities. Where there is a need the resource will be applied to the student.

"We have a very inclusive environment when it comes to our education and our schools are very inclusive environments, and so they should be."