In 2024, at least 242 million students in 85 countries experienced educational disruptions because of extreme weather events, including heat waves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods and droughts. “Learning interrupted: Global snapshot of climate-related school disruptions in 2024” is a Unicef study that examines climate-related hazards that resulted in school closures or significant learning disruptions, and the resulting impact on children from pre-school to upper secondary school.

Last year, schools were closed mainly because of heat waves, with over 118 million students affected in April alone.

Almost 74% of the students affected last year were in low- and middle-income countries, but no region was spared. Torrential rain and floods hit Italy and Spain, preventing a total of 913,000 children from attending lessons.

South Asia was the worst affected region in the world, with 128 million students facing climate-related school interruptions.

The Report is available on the Unicef website [6].

Further materials and news can be found on this site under Education and Environment [7], accessible from the “Topics” navigation menu.