Sex Cards Excluded from Zagreb’s School Health Curriculum
The Controversy Over “Sexuality Cards” in Zagreb’s School Curriculum
In September 2025, the city of Zagreb announced an expert committee tasked with developing a health education curriculum for local schools. This initiative aimed to introduce an extracurricular subject focused on health and well-being for students in grades 5 to 8. However, the announcement quickly sparked controversy due to misleading claims about the inclusion of “sexuality cards” in the curriculum.
The confusion began when an article published by Narod.hr on September 13, 2025, featured a headline that suggested the cards were designed for school children. The article mentioned a conference organized by Croatian NGOs CESI and Status M, where the “sexuality cards” were presented. It falsely claimed that the cards were intended to explore the “sexual life” of children.
Another post on X, shared over a hundred times since September 14, included screenshots of the cards displaying questions such as “Are there gendered expectations in romantic and sexual relationships?” and “How important is sex to you in intimate relationships and how does it affect your connection with your partner?” These posts were widely circulated and fueled public concern.
Nikola Grmoja, an MP from the ultra-conservative party Most, shared screenshots of some of the cards on X, wrongly claiming they were intended for Zagreb’s elementary and secondary schools. Similarly, Tomislav Sokol, an MEP from the conservative ruling party HDZ, posted a picture of one of the cards on X, which read “Does pain ever give you pleasure? Do you feel pleasure in submissiveness or dominance?” alongside the claim that the green-left party Možemo that governs in Zagreb “wants to introduce this into schools through the back door as an extracurricular activity.”
Some users on X also consulted Grok about the claims and received incorrect answers, further spreading misinformation.
Clarifying the Purpose of the “Sexuality Cards”
The guidelines for the deck of cards, which can be found directly under the link to the cards on Status M’s website, clearly state that they are intended for individuals over 18 years old. Nowhere in the description are they presented as educational material for schools or children. Participants at the conference also confirmed to AFP that there had been no confusion about their use.
Anamarija Sočo, president of Status M, which published the deck and co-organised the conference, clarified that the cards are not intended for school-aged children. She explained that the cards are meant for young people above 18 years old and are used among trusted friends to “start conversations about topics related to sexuality and encourage young people to reflect and share their thoughts with others.”
Sočo added that the organization is not involved in the city’s expert committee in charge of developing the future curriculum. The list of experts was published by the city on September 3.
AFP reached out to several of the conference’s participants, who confirmed that the deck of “sexuality cards” was only presented as one example of the work done by organizations active in the broader topic of sexual education. They were not mentioned in the context of any kind of teaching material.
Zagreb deputy mayor Danijela Dolenec called the claims that the cards would be used in schools with young children “disinformation.” She emphasized that the cards “are not part of the health education programme of the city of Zagreb, nor will they be. They are not intended for children; they are not intended for school programmes.”
The Broader Context of Sex Education in Croatia
Sex education has been a contentious issue in Croatia for over a decade. Efforts to introduce it into the national school curriculum have stalled due to strong opposition from conservative groups, including the Catholic Church and the right-wing HDZ party. A national curriculum was proposed in 2013, but its implementation was blocked at the national level, leaving it to local authorities to develop their own initiatives.
Kristina Mihaljević, a pedagogist and member of the city’s expert committee, highlighted the importance of sex education in preventing sexual violence. She explained that teaching children and young people about boundaries, healthy sexuality, reproductive rights, and consent is crucial.
Višnja Ljubičić, Croatia’s gender equality ombudswoman, noted that children and young people in Croatia primarily learn about sexuality via the internet and through conversations with peers, while the share of professionally transmitted and verified information is negligible. This lack of reliable information places young people at increased risks of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Ljubičić also pointed out that campaigns against sex education often rely on disinformation and moral panic. She cited the 2014 campaign “Don’t touch the children,” which falsely alleged a link between sexual education in schools and pedophilia. Such disinformation campaigns, she said, are part of a trend of politicization and ‘ideologization’ of the field of human rights.
The false claims about the “sexuality cards” also triggered hate speech. Anamarija Sočo from Status M reported that the organization has been exposed to attacks and threats, including violence and death. Members have been slandered as pedophiles and sexual predators, which is particularly problematic because some of them work as educators in schools.
The Možemo party has previously been targeted by disinformation, and AFP has debunked similar instances in the past.
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