Disability Advocates Sound Alarm Over Queensland’s ‘Segregated Schools’ Plan
In a move that has shocked disability rights advocates, the Queensland Government’s proposal to build more special schools has sparked fierce criticism and concern.
Inclusion advocates, educators, and families say the expansion of segregated education facilities directly undermines decades of progress toward inclusive schooling. Instead of integrating students with disabilities into mainstream environments where diversity is embraced, the plan risks pushing them to the margins — isolating them from peers and limiting their growth.
Emma Bennison, CEO of Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), called the government’s approach “deeply disappointing and regressive,” arguing that “real inclusion happens when students of all abilities learn, play and grow together.”
Experts warn that this policy not only breaches the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), but may also have long-term negative social impacts for students who are separated from their broader communities.
Families and inclusion networks are calling on the Queensland Government to invest in capacity-building, teacher training, and support structures within existing schools — not in building walls that divide.
“Segregation is not choice. Segregation is exclusion,” says Disability Advocate Kathy Isaacs. “We must stop calling it inclusive when it’s not.”
