Flinders Christian Community College’s autism-specific Joshua Centre at its Tyabb campus is under growing scrutiny, with fresh allegations emerging that the school has failed to adequately support its autistic students — forcing some to leave under distressing circumstances.
Disability Rights Australia speaks out
On 14 June, Disability Rights Australia published a detailed warning on social media, accusing the college of refusing to make reasonable adjustments for two autistic students, despite medical advice that the lack of support was causing serious harm.
According to the group, specialist recommendations were ignored even as students suffered nightmares, panic attacks, nausea, retching, abdominal pain and heightened trauma. In one example, the school allegedly refused to exempt a student from studying a second language, despite documentation showing this was needed to protect their wellbeing.
“Until the student could take it no more,” the post read. Disability Rights Australia confirmed that the matter has since led to legal action under the Equal Opportunity Act for discrimination. The group invited concerned families to reach out directly, noting their statements were based on reviewed documents and correspondence.
Parents label centre “unsafe and unstructured”
The concerns gained further traction on 30 June, when the Herald Sun published parent accounts describing the Joshua Centre as “little better than daycare.” One family said their child was left traumatised by what they called an “unsafe, unstructured and unpredictable” classroom environment. They claimed afternoons were largely spent on iPads, with minimal academic instruction, scarce homework, and poor communication from teachers.
Parents also criticised the centre’s mixed-age classrooms and reported high dropout rates, adding that integration with the wider school community was virtually non-existent.
School defends program design
Executive Principal Cameron Pearce has strongly rejected these characterisations, saying they are inaccurate and misleading. Pearce argued that the Joshua Centre’s use of iPads, mixed-age settings and flexible homework approaches are deliberate strategies designed for the complex needs of students with level 2 autism and similar neurodivergent conditions.
He acknowledged incidents of challenging behaviour occur but said staff manage these to protect the health and safety of students and educators. Pearce also pointed to evidence of significant developmental gains among many Joshua Centre students.
Centre’s growth continues amid controversy
The Joshua Centre began enrolments in 2022 and plans to expand through to Year 10 by 2028. A new dedicated building was completed in early 2024, officially opened at a ceremony in May.
Despite this growth, the recent complaints have sparked a broader community debate over the quality and oversight of autism-specific education within private schools, especially faith-based institutions.
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