The advisory group that has overseen the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector also says about 50 schools should be handed to new patrons.

It would be the first phase of divesting of the Church’s role in the country’s 3,300 primary schools, almost 90% of which are under Catholic patronage.

While transfers are under consideration by bishops, the group appointed last year by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has gone furthest in its recommendations in relation to schools in areas where new patronage options are unlikely for families.

There are about 1,700 such standalone schools outside urban areas, where the nearest school is about 3km away. In order to make these schools more inclusive to a diversifying population, the group recommends:

* Changes to education law to place responsibility on school boards to uphold the rights of children and parents with regard to denominational religious education and faith formation;

* Consideration to amend equality law that allows a school give preference to children of a particular faith, or refuse enrolment to those who do not belong to the school’s denomination;

* Removal of a rule that refers to religion as the most important subject in the primary school curriculum;

* Schools helping to accommodate children opting out of denominational religious teaching or faith formation;

* Ongoing discussions with parents and clergy about the parish role in sacramental preparation.

“The advisory group recommends that sacramental preparation, or education for religious rites or other belief systems, should not encroach on the time allocated for the general curriculum,” its report says.

The group, chaired by former NUI Maynooth education professor John Coolahan, asks that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment develop curriculum and teacher guidelines for education about religion and beliefs (ERB) and about ethics.

It had concerns for children who do not participate in religious programmes in denominational schools.

“They may go through their primary schooling without any ERB and ethical education. For these children, the proposed programmes in ERB and ethics are of central importance,” the report says.

The forum has been one of Mr Quinn’s biggest reform agendas and will be a major source of discussion at the conference of the primary teachers’ union, the INTO, where he will speak this morning. He also faces anger over cutbacks and cuts to pay for new teachers at the three teacher union conferences this week.