Canberra principal suspended after student caged

A Canberra school principal has been suspended after a cage-like structure was found in a classroom, apparently to accommodate an autistic student.

ACT Education minister Joy Burch says she is "immensely disappointed, disturbed and quite frankly disgusted" the two metre cage, made of pool fencing, was allowed in the classroom.

Education department officials have launched an investigation following a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Diane Joseph from the ACT Education Directorate told the ABC it was an isolated example of poor decision making.

"The space was basically a fenced-in structure inside a classroom," she said.

"It was entirely inappropriate and unacceptable, and the structure has been removed.

"The decision to erect such a structure raises so many questions.

"This is not how our students should be treated."