Senate committee divided over adding reproductive health to school curriculum

• MQM-P opposes content till primary education level.
• Kamran Murtaza, Fauzia Arshad reject proposal outright.
• Parents must decide, says Senator Fauzia Arshad.

ISLAMABAD: A heated debate unfolded in the Senate Standing Committee on Education over a proposal to include reproductive health education in the academic curriculum, with members sharply divided on the matter.

Senator Quratulain Marri, who presented the bill, argued on Monday that reproductive health content must be part of the syllabus to provide proper guidance to students, especially girls, before marriage.

“Children are searching for inappropriate things online. It’s better that they are educated correctly through the curriculum,” she said.

While some members supported the bill in principle but raised concerns over its scope and implementation, others categorically rejected it. Senator Kamran Murtaza strongly opposed the proposal, as did Senator Gurdeep Singh from PTI and Senator Falak Naz.

Senator Fauzia Arshad did not oppose the bill but stressed that parents must be consulted before such content is introduced in the curriculum.

"This decision should lie with the parents — whether they want their children to study this or not," she added.

The bill, which has been pending for over a year, remains under consideration as the committee continues its deliberations.

Appointment of VC

The session was chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt. During the meeting, the committee also discussed the appointment of a chancellor at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design. Butt questioned the lack of checks and balances, saying, “If a vice chancellor has been in office for 25 years, how can anyone speak against him?”

HEC Chairman added that many challenges existed on the ground and clarified that the issue of tenure extension for VCs had been legally closed.

Senator Marri also initiated discussion on her Federal Oversight and Education Amendment Bill 2024, which aims to reinstate regulatory standards for textbooks.

Senator Fauzia Arshad recalled her children’s time in the US, noting that there, schools required parental consent before teaching topics related to the reproductive system. The chairperson questioned which age group the proposed curriculum changes would target.