AKU conference declares raising children a societal imperative
A panel discussion at the conference.
Fahim Siddiqi / White Star
Media Source: Dawn (Pakistan)
Date: 20 October 2025
A critical global conversation on safeguarding and shaping the future of the next generation began on Wednesday as the 13th International Conference on ‘Raising Children in Our Times’ opened in Karachi. The event is hosted by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (IED) in Pakistan.…
A critical global conversation on safeguarding and shaping the future of the next generation began on Wednesday as the 13th International Conference on ‘Raising Children in Our Times’ opened in Karachi. The event is hosted by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (IED) in Pakistan. Speaking as the chief guest, Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah declared the proper raising of children to be the “fundamental challenge of our era.” He asserted that the future is built not in parliaments or factories, but in the “nurturing, protected, and enlightened spaces we create for our children today.” Dr Bronwen Magrath, Global Programme Manager Schools2030, Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), spoke about the need for teachers to have more freedom to make decisions in their classrooms. She said that teaching was not only about delivering the curriculum but also about understanding and responding to students’ needs.