Swimming great Ian Thorpe urges government to keep Safe Schools program

Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe has urged the federal government to retain the Safe Schools program.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist, who has spoken of struggling to deal with his sexuality during his teenage years, says it would be a mistake to scrap the controversial anti-bullying program.

"I think that schools should promote diversity and inclusion from all of our different communities ... we're a multicultural society and that doesn't just mean ethnicity," he told reporters in Adelaide today.

Safe Schools is an opt-in program for schools to combat bullying of gay and lesbian students.

Its aim is to ensure schools offer a supportive learning environment so all kids are treated with respect, but some Coalition MP have expressed fears it is age-inappropriate for children. 

Nationals MP George Christensen, who has urged for a parliamentary inquiry into the program, has likened Safe Schools to pedophiles' grooming of children.