Melbourne, May 9 : A Sydney school teacher has been sacked for appearing in a sealed nude photo shoot in a magazine with her hubby.

The primary school teacher, Lynne Tziolas was dismissed from her full-time temporary position at Narraweena Public School and has now begun legal action against the New South Wales Education Department for unfair dismissal, reports The Manly Daily.

At least 40 parents have signed a petition to have her reinstated.

The 24-year-old Tziolas and her husband Antonios, 45, appear in the Cleo magazine in a sealed section with nine other couples, who share details about each other's favourite body part and their sexual practices.

A nude photo of the couple shows them in an embrace, facing each other so nothing is visible.

"It was very tasteful and I need to make it known that in no way do I ever let my private life affect or influence the content I disseminate in the classroom," News.com.au quoted Tziolas, as telling The Manly Daily.

"I could understand if I was a high school teacher, but I'm a primary school teacher and this appeared in a women's adult magazine," she said.

The Education Department says Tziolas' suspension follows complaints from "several" parents at the school.

"Several Narraweena parents complained to the school about photographs and inappropriate sexual comments in a Cleo magazine article," a department spokesman said in a statement.

However, Antonios said that the department had received just one complaint.

The couple decided to be part of the naked photo shoot after they were approached by a friend who was unable to take part.

"We got some beautiful loving shots that we wanted for a keepsake and we were paid to do it. We were honest. Yes, we're both teachers. Yes, we have sex, and yes, we are loving and committed to each other. What we did we both stand by. We would do it again," Antonios said.