08-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Senate panel: ‘reproductive health education' issue causes outcry
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Education witnessed unprecedented outcry as legislators from both sides of the aisle clashed over the controversy of proposed inclusion of reproductive health education in the national curriculum.
PPP Senator Quratulain Marri proposed the inclusion of reproductive health topics in school textbooks, arguing the subject is driving children to seek misleading and harmful information online.
Senator Bushra Anjum Butt chaired the committee meeting held on Monday in the Parliament House.
Senator Marri was of the view that the young girls must be well aware of reproductive health and receive proper guidance before marriage.
Chairperson Senator Bushra Anjum Butt questioned the appropriate age group for such content, voicing concern about introducing potentially sensitive topics too early in students' academic lives.
Other committee members echoed these concerns, suggesting that the material could conflict with cultural and religious values if not carefully tailored.
The committee deliberated in detail the Federal Supervision of Curricula, Textbooks and Maintenance of Standards of Education (Amendments) Bill 2025, moved by Senator Marri. After extensive debate on sensitive aspects, particularly age limits for reproductive health education the bill was deferred for further input.
While senators, Kamran Murtaza and Gurdeep Singh rejected the bill outright, other members suggested amendments, including setting the age for reproductive health education at 13 or 16 years, respecting cultural sentiments and local context. 'The intention is clear: to curb child abuse, misinformation on the internet, and ensure that 'reproductive health education' equips children with accurate knowledge about their physical, mental, and social well-being,' the chairman emphasised.
Opening with the compliance report on the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD), the committee reviewed the ministry's progress on amendments directed in its previous sittings. The proposed changes include ensuring 33 per cent women representation in the Senate of PIFD, in line with the Prime Minister's Office directive for all federal bodies.
Furthermore, the new clause proposes that the vice chancellor's appointment be restricted to a four-year term, with no extensions, but open to competitive re-selection. 'This will lead to transparency and credibility — we don't want heads to be bigger than the institutions themselves. Legislation should solve problems, not create them,' the chairman remarked. She also stressed that a mandatory quarterly Senate meeting must be held to maintain checks and balances and sought a complete list of federal institutions where vice chancellors have served beyond one or two terms.
On the agenda item moved by Senator Sarmad Ali regarding provision of free milk in ICT educational institutions, the ministry officials acknowledged the noble intent but highlighted cost implications — estimating a requirement of Rs900 million— and potential food safety risks due to milk's perishable nature.
The committee decided to review the Punjab Government's provision of free milk model and invited stakeholders, including representatives from leading companies, to deliberate on sustainable frameworks.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
