Opposition parties in the parliament on Tuesday stood in support of the Church's objections to the introduction of the proposed health education programme in schools as it interferes in the privacy of the family, the ruling coalition however considers that it is impermissible for the Church to meddle in public affairs such as education.
Darko Milinovic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), the largest opposition party, said that the proposed health education programme interfered in the privacy of families.
He objected that the government had not facilitated a public debate over the proposed programme and that parents had the right to privacy in raising their own children according to their principles and way of life.
He believes that health education should be an optional subject and parents should be allowed to choose if their children are to attend or not similarly to Religious Instructions.
Asked for his opinion of the government's objections that the Church was meddling with secular affairs, Milinovic said the government only ever referred to the Church when it did not agree with the government.
HDZ deputies objected that the proposed model was introducing aspects that were not in line with Croatian tradition and was imposing views that went against the major part of Croatian society.
Nenad Stazic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the senior party in the ruling coalition, said that it was impermissible for the Church to encroach on secular matters.
Stazic said that even until now the Church had interpreted matters differently than was taught in schools and that did not create any problems so why should the introduction of health education which differs to what the Church propagates be a problem now, he said.
