Teacher censors 'gay' from kids' song

The kookaburra. Herald file photo

Australia has a reputation as one of the world's most gay-friendly countries - unless you're learning about an indigenous bird perched on a gum tree.

A school in Victoria has created controversy by banning the word gay from the classic Aussie song Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree.

Students at Cheltenham's Lepage Primary have instead been told to sing the line, Fun your life must be.

Principal Garry Martin said he taught the lyrics to grade one pupils using an old tape of the famous song.

"It uses gay and I just suggested to kids, `Nowadays that can mean different things, so let's just sing a fun old time'," he told The Herald Sun newspaper.

"It was my decision to replace it. I guess that was hypersensitive of me."

Mr Martin said some children used the word "gay" to bully others without knowing the meaning of the expression.

"Political correctness is to the fore in schools - what's appropriate and what isn't - and sometimes we rightly or wrongly err on the side of caution," he said.

However, Crusader Hillis, from gay and lesbian advocacy group the Also Foundation, said the banning words because they had multiple meanings was wrong.

"I don't think that's a very good message for kids to have, particularly when they've been working really hard to bring in respect and diversity into schools," he said.

"They're drawing attention to it and being a bit stupid."

Norman Laurie, managing director of the song's owner Larrikin Music, said the reasoning for changing the lyric was spurious.

"It's about as smart as banning Noddy books in libraries," he said.

Mr Laurie said the school's move was technically a copyright breach but he wouldn't be taking any action.

The Federal Court awarded Larrikin 5 per cent of the royalties from the song Down Under after ruling the band Men at Work had breached copyright by including a riff from the Kookaburra song. The decision is under appeal.

Kookaburra was penned more than 75 years ago by teacher Marion Sinclair for a Girl Guides competition.

- NZPA