A parliamentary debate unfolded on Monday as the Senate Standing Committee on Education remained split over a proposed bill seeking to add reproductive health education to the national school curriculum.
The bill, introduced by Senator Quratulain Marri, aimed to integrate reproductive health topics into the syllabus to better inform students—particularly young girls—before marriage.
She argued that accurate information provided in schools would help guide children, preventing them from turning to unverified and inappropriate online sources.
However, the proposal met with resistance from several committee members, who raised cultural and parental concerns.
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Senator Kamran Murtaza strongly opposed the bill, while Senator Fauzia Arshad said that detailed explanations of the reproductive system were unsuitable for young students. She emphasized that such decisions should be left to parents, not mandated through the school curriculum.
Senator Khalida Ateeb of MQM-Pakistan supported the idea of excluding reproductive health education from the curriculum at the primary level. Senator Gurdeep Singh also rejected the proposal.
The discussion highlighted a growing divide between lawmakers advocating for progressive education reforms and those prioritizing traditional and family-led approaches to sensitive subjects.
While no final decision was reached, the bill has reignited debate over the role of schools in providing health education and the limits of curriculum content in a culturally diverse society.