Papua new guinea: The water rises through the pit toilets when the creek beside Taudibura Garos school in Papua New Guinea floods, making the school unsafe and sending 16-year-old Taudibura and her classmates home without completing their lessons. She is among an estimated 171 million students globally whose education was disrupted by climate hazards in 2025.
According to United Nations, a new UNICEF report released Wednesday highlights that this disruption affected roughly one in ten students, spanning from pre-school to the end of high school. The most frequent cause of these disruptions were storms, impacting 109 million students, followed by floods and heatwaves. These events led to suspended classes, damaged schools, a shift to remote learning, reduced school attendance, shortened instructional time, and an increased risk of dropping out for millions of students.
Taudibura and her classmates in Papua New Guinea are facing even more extreme weather conditions this year, as the stronger-than-ever El Ni±o climate pattern is expected to heighten the risk of extreme weather in the coming months. Taudibura explained, "Usually, the water comes up to our knees and floods the pit toilets, then it becomes unhealthy for us to stay at school, and we miss the lessons we are supposed to learn."
The report emphasizes that while students from all income levels were affected, three-quarters of those impacted reside in low and lower-middle-income countries. These education systems often lack the necessary resources to safeguard learning during climate-related emergencies. In Pakistan, for instance, severe monsoon floods in August delayed the return to school for over 28 million students, marking one of the largest climate-related education disruptions recorded in 2025. Similarly, a powerful Khamsin storm in Egypt prompted a nationwide suspension of classes for one day in April, also affecting more than 28 million students.
The report also reveals that girls are more vulnerable than boys to dropping out when climate hazards disrupt or close schools. Damaged schools and sanitation facilities, alongside displaced families losing income, often result in girls being given additional caregiving and water-collection responsibilities. These pressures can increase the risk of being forced into child marriage, making it difficult for girls to return to school once they reopen.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed that for millions of children, climate hazards do more than disrupt lessons; they destroy schools, uproot families, and push vulnerable children, especially girls, out of the classroom permanently. The report warns that unless decisive action is taken to support these students, those who experienced climate-related school disruptions in 2025 could cumulatively lose at least $200 billion in lifetime earnings.
At a macro level, learning losses and higher school dropout rates can reduce workforce productivity, slow economic growth, and hamper poverty reduction efforts. UNICEF is urging governments worldwide to invest more heavily in climate-resilient educational systems and infrastructure to protect education for current and future generations, as emphasized by Ms. Russell.