Weren't we all astounded as to how on earth a cage, built to detain an autistic child, was situated in a Canberra classroom for 17 days? 

The structure, 2m by 2m and made from pool fencing, was described as a 'withdrawal space' for the 10-year-old autistic boy, albeit, it's more accurately construe as a scheme of internment. 

Maltreatment of an inexcusable nature, however, it confronts a level of desperation felt by innumerable schools across Australia. While absolutely incomprehensible for most, the question is, who did this abhorrent thing and why? Unequivocally, this is the consequence of an inadequate education system. 

As we picture being that 10-year-old boy, caged, against his will, ought we simultaneously feel sympathy for the staff that implemented the barbaric measure? The Australian Education Union's 2015 State of our Schools report, declares that 100,000 students with a disability are not receiving any additional funding to help them cope in the classroom. In spite of some ‘elite private schools’ receiving $43,000 from the government for each special needs student per annum, 84 per cent of school principals say that they have insufficient funding to adequately support such students and that in order to supply the necessary resources, they divert funds from other parts of their unembellished school budget. Students that require supplementary support are assimilated into mainstream education, to the detriment of their, other students' and staffs' wellbeing. This is a dilemma of a momentous proportion, but is confounding, considering the government spends $165 million dollars on religious chaplains across 2600 schools per annum, which is entirely unwarranted.

It is fitting that the Federal Education Minister, Christopher Pyne, says he was 'disturbed by the story', however, the government must redistribute educational funds equitably and appropriately, in order to prevent such atrocities and to improve the evident, deficient education system.