Federal education minister Peter Garrett says it is ‘‘quite draconian and unacceptable’’ for the Queensland government to ban him from visiting schools.

Mr Garrett was intending to visit Nyanda State High School and Yeronga State School in Brisbane’s south on Wednesday.

Nyanda has been earmarked for closure by the Newman government because of low attendance rates.

On Tuesday night, however, the office of Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek informed Mr Garrett he was not welcome at the two schools, saying it would not allow kids to be used as ‘‘props in a political campaign’’.