Faith-based schools should be forced to teach pro-choice and gender ideology, according to a report by a group of Irish NGOs submitted to the Council of Europe.

Published on Friday by the Irish Observatory on Violence Against Women, it says the lack of State control over school curriculums is perpetuating gender stereotypes and gender inequality.

The report says that with 90 per cent of national schools under Catholic patronage, the State lacks “full control” on the implementation of the national curriculum, which means “some schools may be excluding topics such as abortion, same sex relationships and gender identity”.

This is happening because of the “ethos” clause in the rules for national schools, it says. However, the national curriculum as it stands does not require teaching a pro-abortion or gender ideology views.

The report claims: “Such an ethos clause therefore violates Article 14 of the Istanbul Convention and must be removed to ensure that all students in Ireland have access to education on equality between women and men, non-stereotyped gender roles, mutual respect, non-violent conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence against women and the right to personal integrity,” the report says.

The report makes 35 recommendations, including that the State: “remove the ethos clause from the Rules for National Schools and have full control over the curriculum.”