Sex Education in Croatia Tensions between Secular and Religious Discourses

This article explores the influence of the Catholic church on educational policy, more specifically on sex education, in Croatia. It explores tensions between secular and religious discourses regarding the introduction of a sex education programme supported by the Catholic church into Croatian schools. The presence of the Catholic doctrine in the educational system provided the basis for the introduction of sex education with a religious framework, namely the GROZD sex education programme. The GROZD (Glas roditelja za djecu [Parents' Voice for Children]) programme triggered a public discussion that soon became a polarization between liberal (i.e. secular) and traditional (i.e. religious) discourses. In the discussion, the traditional/Catholic value system was used as a justification for the introduction of a sex education programme that was seen by opponents as harmful.