“Children’s bodies are particularly vulnerable. Their temperature rises more quickly and cools down more slowly than adults because they sweat less efficiently. Children cannot concentrate in classes that offer no respite from the sweltering heat, nor can they get to school if the road is underwater or their school has been washed away by the floods,” she insisted.
South Asia, region most affected by school interruptions
Closed classes, advanced vacations, delayed reopening, staggered schedules or even destroyed schools, at least 242 million children from kindergarten to high school – a “cautious” estimate due in particular to gaps in data -, in 85 countries, have suffered a disruption to their schooling last year due to climate shocks, according to Unicef data.
Extreme heat was the main cause, with at least 171 million schoolchildren affected, including 118 million in April 2024 alone, notably in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Thailand and the Philippines. In this country, with soaring temperatures posing significant risks of hyperthermia to children, thousands of non-air-conditioned schools have, for example, been closed.
The month of September, which marks the start of the school year in a large number of countries, was also very impacted, with a suspension of classes in 18 countries, notably due to the devastating Typhoon Yagi in East Asia and the Pacific. . South Asia was the region most affected by these school interruptions linked to climate shocks, with 128 million schoolchildren affected. By country, India comes first (54 million students due to heatwaves), ahead of Bangladesh (35 million, for the same reason).
Fear of complete dropout
And these figures are likely to rise in the coming years if the world does not do enough to slow warming. Half of the world’s children, around one billion, live in countries at very high risk of climate and environmental shocks. And if the current trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions continues, around 8 times more children are expected to be exposed to heatwaves in 2050 compared to 2000, 3.1 times more for extreme floods or even 1.7 times more for fires, according to UNICEF projections.
-Beyond the temporary impact, the agency is concerned that prolonged suspensions of classes increase the risks of some children, particularly girls, dropping out of school altogether.
“Climate change is worsening the global learning crisis and threatening children’s ability to learn. Today, according to estimates, two-thirds of 10-year-old children around the world cannot read and understand a simple text, the report insists. “Climate risks make this reality worse.”
“Education is one of the services most frequently disrupted by climatic hazards. However, this is an area often neglected in discussions despite its role in preparing children to adapt to climate change,” lamented Catherine Russell. “The future of children must be at the heart of all climate plans and actions.” Unicef is therefore calling for investment in particular to renovate classrooms or build new ones more resistant to these hazards. Like in Mozambique where Cyclone Chido in December destroyed or damaged 1,126 classrooms in 250 schools.
