Bridgett Barr, who is enrolled in year 7 at Mount Austin High School, studies through distance education as a result of her illness.

The 12-year-old was hopeful of attending school this year, but her mother’s effort to have the cleaning products removed before the start date was unsuccessful.

Angela Foreman, Bridgett’s mother, said the education department's refusal to replace the desk cleaner with a safer alternative amounted to discrimination.

Ms Foreman had even bought a school uniform and new school shoes in the belief the department would replace the chemicals.

“If she was in a wheelchair, they would have built ramps to accommodate her,” she said.

“She’s a really smart, creative girl and she wants to go to school. I’m not asking for big dollars to be spent.”

Bridgett said she wanted to make new friends at school and was finding the distance workload a challenge.

“It’s lonely to sit at home all day,” she said.

Ms Foreman lobbied two years ago to have the same chemicals removed from Sturt Public School. She said her ownership of a personal hygiene shop made her wary of toxic chemicals.

“Kids in schools shouldn’t be exposed to heavy industrial chemicals,” Ms Foreman said. “Thank God I do this for a living - I would never have known that schools were using toxic chemicals.”

Ms Forman said her daughter breaks out in severe rashes once her skin comes in contact with the chemical agent.

“I’ve tried telling the department about it and they tell me cleaning is contracted out but when I talk to the cleaning company, they refer me back to the department,” she said. “It’s just a big ring around.”

The Department of Education and Communities (DEC) did not confirm the name of the cleaning agent used in ​NSW schools, but Ms Foreman said it was a chemical known as formaldehyde.

A DEC spokesman offered a one-sentence statement in response to Advertiser inquiries: “The school is working with the parent to facilitate enrolment.”