Pauline Hanson slammed over speech suggesting autistic kids be removed from mainstream schools

PAULINE Hanson is under fire for suggesting autistic children be removed from mainstream classrooms to stop other kids being held back.

• HANSON: REMOVE AUTISTIC KIDS FROM MAINSTREAM CLASSES

PAULINE Hanson is under fire for suggesting autistic children be removed from mainstream classrooms to stop other kids being held back.

Pauline Hanson sparked anger when she suggested children with austims were holding back their classmates. Picture: Ray Strange.

The One Nation leader made the comments during debate on the federal government’s proposed schools overhaul in the Senate on Wednesday.

Senator Hanson insisted parents and teachers had raised the matter with her. Teachers were devoting much of their time to disabled children, to the detriment of other students in the classroom, she said.

Disabled and autistic children should be taught in special classrooms where they can be looked after and given special attention, she said.

Father-of-two Jeremy Gordon from Forestville on Sydney’s north shore said Pauline Hanson’s comments were offensive to all parents with autistic kids who want to put them in mainstream schools.

Mr Gordon’s son Alex attends Vern Barnett School for autistic children in Forestville and said his son has undergone four years of intense education and therapy to give him the skills necessary to enter the public school system.

“Alex’s dream is to go to school with his big brother, just at the local school,” the father-of-two said.

“What Ms Hanson fails to realise is that scientific evidence shows if you have integrated classes with special needs and mainstream kids, and if it is properly funded and supported, then it is mutually beneficial for all involved.

“We attended seminars to comprehend the full extent of Alex’s diagnosis and it was this repeated clinical evidence that was presented to us. You don’t take the kids out of the classroom, you put the funding into the classroom.

“We want Alex to be an integrated member of society with a circle of friends and living the life everyone is entitled to. And the first step is getting him into a mainstream school.

“All that parents of autistic children want is for their kids to have a fair go. Ms Hanson’s statement made me so angry, and for her to say we can’t have that goal is pretty offensive and ignorant.”

One Nation leader senator Pauline Hanson has been widely condemned over her comments about children with autism in mainstream schools.

In her speech yesterday, Senator Hanson said, “If it was one of my children I would love all the time given to them to give them those opportunities - but is it at the loss of our other kids?” “It’s no good saying ‘We’ve got to allow these kids to feel good about themselves and we don’t want to upset them and make them feel hurt’, and I understand that.

“But we have to be realistic at times and consider the impact that is having on other children in that classroom.” Australia could not afford to hold kids back as students in other countries overtake them in the rankings, Senator Hanson said.

obvious Pauline Hanson has never taken the time to get to know anyone with autism My autistic son has taught me more about life than anyone

— Angus James (@AngusJames5) June 21, 2017

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten condemned the comments.

“Heartbreaking and upsetting for parents of children with autism to hear @PaulineHansonOz say their kids don’t deserve the same opportunity,” he tweeted. He read to parliament an email he received from a parent in response to Senator Hanson’s comments “What the senator is saying is that our clever, funny, naughty, spunky kid doesn’t deserve a good education,” the letter said.

“That she doesn’t deserve the same opportunities as other kids. That she is lesser. Not worthy. Not really one of us.”

My three reasons for disagreeing with Pauline Hanson's comments on autistic kids.#autism#auspol pic.twitter.com/G4Af5BmKqF

— Danny Hill (@DannyHillAEAVIC) June 21, 2017

Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie said she wanted disabled children in mainstream classrooms because it was great for all students, including those without disabilities.

“They learn compassion. They learn how to deal with these matters. It gives them coping mechanisms for the rest of their lives. Everybody wins out with this,” she told parliament.

Autism Awareness Australia has slammed Senator Hanson’s comments as “appalling, archaic and cruel”.

Chief executive Nicole Rogerson described Senator Hanson as a “truly deplorable woman”.

“@PaulineHansonOz is a disgrace. Dangerous, hurtful and archaic thinking,” she tweeted.

“This is one of the most disgusting things a member of parliament could say.”