BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. Fostering national and moral values within the family, the role of parents in child-rearing, and the impact of digital platforms on the development of the younger generation have been discussed within the framework of a conference on the topic "Raising the younger generation in the spirit of national and moral values" in Baku on Friday, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.

The above topics were addressed during a panel discussion titled "Family, education, and society: state policy and public responsibility in youth development," held as part of the conference.

Speaking at the panel, Deputy Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, Aynur Sofiyeva, said that an individual's values are formed within the family, followed by the school stage of development.

She noted that a new model must be proposed when discussing family policy; the family should be an institution that possesses a strategy, realizes its potential, and contributes to society.

"Continuous effort is required to uphold these values," Sofiyeva emphasized.

According to her, 28 analyses regarding values have been conducted so far, as a result of which a document titled "Analysis of Analyses" was prepared and submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers. Currently, the preparation of a document titled "Family Concept" is nearing completion.

Rector of the Azerbaijan Institute of Theology, PhD in Theology, Associate Professor, Agil Shirinov, said that the family is the foundation of society.

He noted that children receive their first insights into moral values from the family and learn these values through living behavioral models.

According to Shirinov, there are differences between the traditional family model and the modern family model. While grandmothers, grandfathers, and other relatives used to play a role in the family, the nuclear family model, consisting of the father, mother, and child, is now widespread. This implies a reduction in the number of people involved in a child's upbringing.

"The family is our primary source of information regarding moral values. A child learns values from living behavioral models," he said.

The rector added that research shows children with very modern mindsets can emerge even from highly conservative families. Chairman of the Public Council under the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations, Elnur Mustafayev, noted that digital platforms have both positive and negative aspects.

He pointed out that while digital platforms facilitate information access and offer greater convenience, they also create conditions for the spread of harmful trends.

According to Mustafayev, young families sometimes give phones to their children to make things easier for themselves; however, this approach is incorrect, and special attention should be paid to communicating with children.

The panel discussion continued under the moderation of Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Indira Hajiyeva.