Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
The Civil Society Organisations, the Moving Minds Alliance (MMA) and the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), have disclosed that human connection is crucial for early childhood development, especially in humanitarian settings, as it provides emotional and psychological support, helping children feel safe and secure.
The CSOs, therefore, called on governments, international organisations, NGOs, tech companies, and educational institutions to join forces in ensuring that AI-driven early childhood educational tools are developed and deployed with a focus on human connection, especially in humanitarian context.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of this year International Day of Education, jointly signed by Tricia Young, director, Moving Minds Alliance (MMA) and Liana Ghent, director, International Step by Step Association (ISSA), and made available to journalists in Lokoja at weekend .
This year’s theme: ‘AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation’, resonates deeply with our vision of a world where families caught up in crisis are able to rebuild resilience and foster the wellbeing and development of their young children.
“Moreover, human connection is crucial for early childhood development, especially in humanitarian settings, as it provides emotional and psychological support, helping children feel safe and secure.
“Positive interactions with caregivers and peers stimulate cognitive development, essential for language acquisition and problem-solving skills.
“Additionally, human connection promotes better physical health, as emotionally connected caregivers ensure proper nutrition and healthcare. Strong relationships also build resilience, enabling children to cope better with adversities, and teach essential social skills like empathy and communication.”
The communique stated that there is need for multi stakeholder collaboration in designing and deploying ECE programmes is even more crucial now as the situation of children living in humanitarian crises have worsened significantly in 2024:
It stated that over 473 million children—nearly 19 percent of the world’s children—are living in conflict zones 47.2 million children have been displaced due to conflict and violence.
More than 52 million children in conflict-affected countries are out of school.
“We, therefore, call upon governments, international organisations, NGOs, tech companies, and educational institutions to join forces to: ‘Foster partnerships across sectors to develop and deploy AI-driven educational tools that are accessible, inclusive, and culturally relevant with a focus on human connection and encourage expansion of learning beyond the screen with support from adults.
“Ensure that the necessary technological infrastructure is in place to support AI initiatives, including reliable internet access and digital devices for all children.
“Establish robust frameworks to protect the privacy and security of children’s data, ensuring that applications are used ethically and responsibly.”
