Family First Senator calls for sex program's removal from SA schools

Family First Senator Bob Day has called for the Safe Schools gender and sexuality education program, which is aimed at reducing homophobia and transphobia in schools, to be scrapped in South Australia.

According to the SHineSA website, the Commonwealth-funded program is "dedicated to making schools safer and more inclusive for same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse students, staff and families".

However, Mr Day said the lessons were not suitable for the classroom.

"This is a bridge too far – these kind of topics are rightly the responsibility of parents," he said.

Fifty-three SA schools have signed up to the Safe Schools program, including 49 state schools.

Two of those registered are primary schools, at Munno Parra and Port Pirie West.

Parents have also expressed varying opinions about the issue.

"How about teaching my kids some proper education," one father said.

Other parents supported the move.

"I think it's fair enough to have it in schools, I think kids need to know about things," another father said.

"People need to be more open-minded, so I think we need to start with the little ones," one mother said.

Principals can decide whether their schools participate in the program, the SA Education Department said.