KARACHI: One in four children aged three to eight years in Karachi’s public schools are at risk of social, emotional, physical, language and cognition development delays, a study conducted by the Aga Khan University (AKU) said on Wednesday.

AKU said it conducted the research among children studying in grades one and two at Karachi’s public schools. The children were measured in each of the five developmental domains — social and emotional, physical, language, cognition and communication skills.

“It was found that 28% of children were vulnerable in at least one of these domains, while about 10% struggled in all five,” AKU said in press release.

The study found that Pashtun children “exhibited the highest vulnerability” in all domains compared to Urdu speaking, Sindhi, Punjabi and Baloch children.

“Boys were also found to be significantly more likely to be vulnerable than girls,” the press release said.

AKU said the study revealed that children’s developmental vulnerability overall is shaped by a combination of gender, family income, and ethnic background elements.

It said identifying these gaps early is important as it can inform strategies that systematically protect and support the healthy development of all children in society.

“An individual’s early years are their most sensitive period, where the most rapid growth and development occur,” Dr. Seema Lasi, assistant professor at AKU and the study’s co-author, said in a statement.

“A child’s developmental health is deeply influenced by their parents, teachers and the social and environmental factors they grow up in.”

 Dr. Salman Kirmani, director of the Center of Excellence--Women & Child Health, said developmental health was not only a medical concern but a societal responsibility that begins at home and extends to classrooms.

“Children thrive when they are supported by both quality education and a stable, nurturing home,” he said.