Primary schools throughout Scotland banned children from making Fathers Day cards to avoid upsetting children from single-mother or lesbian homes.
The policy, which affected thousands of children, was adopted by schools in Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Clackmannanshire.
According to the last census, two thirds of Scottish children live in a household headed by a married couple.
A spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council said: “Increasingly, it is the case that there are children who haven’t got fathers or haven’t got fathers living with them and teachers are having to be sensitive about this.
“Teachers have always had to deal with some pupils not having fathers or mothers, but with marital breakdown it is accelerating.”
Jim Goodall, head of education at Clackmannanshire Council, said teachers are expected to behave with common sense but be sensitive to “the changing pattern of family life.”
Matt O’Connor, founder of campaign group Fathers For Justice, said: “I’m astonished at this. It totally undermines the role and significance of fathers”.
“It also sends out a troubling message to young boys that fathers aren’t important,” he added.