The ruling Liberal Democratic Party faced backlash from opposition lawmakers and the public this week after reports surfaced that it is mulling a plan to forgive student debt for those who have a child.

A panel of the party, which has dominated Japanese politics since World War II, said Thursday that they might include the suggestion in a broader proposal aimed at reducing the financial burden of education. The plan is being crafted by the LDP’s research commission for education rebuilding, Jiji Press reported.

For years, the world’s third-largest economy has struggled to address a declining birthrate. The debt forgiveness proposal is one effort at reversing that trend. Figures released earlier this week showed that the number of births for 2022 was lower than at any other point since records began in 1899.