CHITRAL: In the 13th international conference on “Raising children in our times”, the educators, policymakers and health experts presented their deliberations on how the families and communities can raise healthy, empathetic and resilient children amid rapid digital and social change, in order to make the future safe and prosperous.
Organised by the Professional Development Centre Chitral of the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) here on Thursday, the conference highlighted modern challenges in early childhood education and child development, with a focus on nurturing children’s wellbeing through research, innovation, and community engagement.
Dr Farid Panjwani, Dean, AKU-IED, in his video message, highlighted that many parents find raising children a difficult and bewildering work not because parents care less or put in less efforts in childcare but because the world around has changed significantly. He urged that raising children was a collective and social act.
Dr Inayatullah Faizi, prominent scholar and educationist, in his keynote address, underscored the importance of culturally grounded and community-driven approaches to early learning. Dr HazirUllah, vice chancellor, University of Chitral, chief guest on the occasion, reaffirmed the region’s commitment to advancing quality education through partnerships and research.
Experts say raising children society’s collective responsibility
Throughout the day, concurrent sessions explored diverse themes related to current ECE and Caregiving models. The presenters shared research and case studies on collaborative ECE programmes in remote valleys of Chitral, caregiver roles in early learning, parental awareness for raising mentally healthy children, and the documentation of traditional outdoor play practices in mountain communities. Other presentations examined developmental delay screening, teaching language through phonetic and whole-word methods, and parental involvement in child-rearing practices through community models such as F4C.
Sessions on sustainability and creativity further broadened the dialogue highlighting the role of storytelling and the arts in nurturing children’s imagination, empathy, and socio-emotional growth.
A key highlight of the conference was a panel discussion on “The Impact of Excessive Screen Time on Children’s Health”. The expert panel included Dr. Gulzar Ahmad, chief pediatrician, Dr. Tajuddin Sharar, provost, University of Chitral, Dr. Sana Ullah, head of sociology, University of Chitral, and Halima Suleman, psychologist from AKHSP. Panelists examined the growing concern of screen dependency among children and proposed community-based interventions to promote digital balance and healthy habits.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Riaz Hussain, head of the Professional Development Centre, Chitral, noted that the “educators, families, and policymakers should come together to create an ecosystem where children could grow as emotionally intelligent and socially responsible individuals.”
The event also celebrated Chitral’s cultural richness through a performance of traditional music by students from the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2025
