Open Letter to Minister Primorac

13 November 2007

The Iskorak, Kontra and Croatian Women Netrwork sent an open letter to Minister Dragan Primorac, as reaction to announcements that the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports started the procedure to buyout the health education programme from Grozd and Forum for Freedom in Education association.

The associations remind Primorac that he said, during his meeting with their representatives on July 12, 2006, that after the buyout of programmes implemented in the education system from the nongovernmental organization, they will be reviewed and corrected by the Ministry and harmonized with Croatian legislation and international conventions. He also noted that they will be reviewed by the Office of Gender Equality Ombudsperson Office and the Children Ombudsperson.

Having in mind that the agrements with GROZD and the Forum for Freedom in Education were signed couple of days ago (November 6) and their application will start in the second semester of this academic year, the organizations are lead to believe that the announced procedures will not be completed.

They conclude that the Ministry of Education decided to violate the existing legislation, disregard the opinions of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Gender Equality Ombudsperson, violate the promise it made to the NGOs and the Croatian public, and work against best interests of children.

- The question remains if the Ministry will ever understand the importance of education of youth about human sexuality and start implementing the obligations listed in international documents and national programmes and policies � states the letter and concludes that the young population will get information about sexuality in the catechises classes and on the pornographic web-sites.