John Lamont warned of problems in the west of Scotland school system The Scottish Tory justice spokesman has accused the west of Scotland school system of overseeing "state-sponsored conditioning of sectarian attitudes".John Lamont's comments came as MSPs debated emergency laws to increase jail terms for sectarian-related behaviour connected to football.
He said sending children to Catholic and non-denominational schools contributed to the problem.
Minister Roseanna Cunningham said the remarks were "astonishing".
The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill was introduced to parliament last week.
The bill aims to stamp out abusive behaviour from football fans whether they are watching matches in a stadium, in the pub or commenting online.
It would raise the maximum jail term from six months to five years.
First Minister Alex Salmond said on Thursday that the timetable for the legislation would be delayed by six months after concerns were raised about the pace of change.
Speaking during the debate, Mr Lamont told MSPs that segregating children into Catholic and non-denominational schools had produced many, if not all, of those responsible for the problems seen in recent months.
Continue reading the main storyTwo new offences on football-related behaviour regarded as offensive and threatening.
One deals with disorder around football matches inside the ground, and extends to those travelling to and from stadiums - as well as fans watching games elsewhere, for example in pubs or on big screens outdoors.
The second offence deals with serious threats - including murder - made on the internet.
That would take in posts on sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as specific websites.
Both offences would become indictable, with a maximum punishment of five years in jail.
The maximum jail term for sectarian hate crimes is currently six months.
Decisions on sentencing in each case are a matter for the courts.
Commenting on the schools system in west central Scotland, he said: "The education system in this part of Scotland is effectively the state-sponsored conditioning of these sectarian attitudes."And I say this as someone who believes, as a Christian country, we should do more to promote Christian values in our young people and support religious education in schools.
"Clearly these attitudes are being entrenched at home and the wider community in these small pockets of west central Scotland."
Responding to the comments, Ms Cunningham, the community safety minister, said: "After listening to John Lamont's astonishing diversion into a diatribe against Scottish education, I really do think that perhaps they (the Scottish Conservatives) need to reconsider how they are going to approach the whole issue of sectarianism in Scotland.
"Because that would suggest to me that they are reckless as to whether or not actually it gets stirred up even further."
The new legislation comes in the wake of several high-profile football-related incidents.
These include trouble at Rangers/Celtic games and the sending of suspected bombs to Celtic manager Neil Lennon and two other high-profile supporters of the club.
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