Climate crises disrupted schooling for nearly 250 million children in 2024

Date: 10th February 2025
Category: General measures of implementation, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

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A new UNICEF report has revealed that extreme climate events disrupted the education of at least 242 million students in 85 countries during 2024.

Released on International Day of Education, the report, Learning Interrupted: Global Snapshot of Climate-Related School Disruptions in 2024, highlights the devastating impact of heatwaves, storms, floods, and droughts on schooling from pre-primary to secondary levels. Heatwaves caused the most disruptions, affecting over 118 million students in April alone. Schools were forced to close in Bangladesh and the Philippines, while Cambodia shortened school days by two hours. In parts of South Asia, temperatures reached 47 degrees Celsius, putting children at risk of heat stroke. Some countries faced multiple climate disasters. In Afghanistan, severe flash floods in May destroyed over 110 schools, affecting thousands of students. September saw the highest number of climate-related disruptions, with 16 countries suspending classes. Typhoon Yagi alone impacted 16 million children in East Asia and the Pacific.

UNICEF has called on global leaders and private organisations to act urgently by making education systems more climate-resilient. it urges nations to strengthen climate adaptation plans, build disaster-resilient learning facilities, accelerate climate financing in education, and integrate climate change education into national curriculums.

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