Climate Crisis: 242 Million Students Face Education Disruption in 2024

A UNICEF analysis reveals that extreme climate events disrupted education for 242 million students across 85 countries in 2024. The report highlights heatwaves as the primary hazard, affecting millions, and calls for enhanced investment in education systems to shield students from climate impacts.

At least 242 million students across 85 countries experienced disruptions in their education due to extreme climate events throughout 2024, according to a recently released UNICEF report. Titled 'Learning Interrupted: Global Snapshot of Climate-Related School Disruptions in 2024,' the report underscores the severe impact of climate hazards like heatwaves, cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts on global education.

The analysis indicates that children in primary to upper secondary education bore the brunt of these conditions. April saw heatwaves closing schools and affecting the education of over 118 million students. In May, soaring temperatures of up to 47 degrees Celsius across South Asia posed significant health risks, particularly to children vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.

September marked a high point in climate-induced educational disruptions, with schools in 16 countries closing, especially impacted by Typhoon Yagi, which alone affected 16 million children in East Asia and the Pacific. The report highlights the urgent need for greater financial investment in education infrastructure to protect against climate impacts and stresses the importance of strengthening national strategies focused on climate resilience and critical social services, including education.

(With inputs from agencies.)