A primary school in Victoria has been accused of being overly politically correct by banning the word "gay" from the classic Australian folk song 'Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree'.
Students at Lepage Primary School in Melbourne have been told to replace the word "gay" with "fun" in the line "gay your life must be" in the classic song, the Herald Sun reported.
Principal Garry Martin said he made the change because the word 'gay' means different things nowadays.
"Political correctness is very much 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.
"I guess that was hypersensitive of me."
Gay and lesbian advocacy group the Also Foundation said the ban was absurd, according to representative Crusader Hillis.
"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.
It's the second time the song has found itself subject of a public debate in a year after a court ruling that Men At Work hit 'Land Down Under' used a melody from the tune.
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