Change law to protect gay teachers: Labor

Labor wants law changes aimed at protecting gay students at religious schools to go further and protect gay teachers from discrimination.

Religious schools should not be allowed to sack teachers due to their sexuality, Labor leader Bill Shorten says.

He is supporting the coalition government's changes to discrimination laws to stop religious schools expelling gay students, but he wants them to go further.

"I believe we can use this goodwill to go further and remove the exemption that would allow a teacher or school staff member to be sacked or refused employment because of their sexual orientation," Mr Shorten said on Monday.