When the creek beside Taudibura Garo’s school in Papua New Guinea floods, the water doesn’t stop at the gate. It rises through the pit toilets – making the school unsafe – sending the 16-year-old and her classmates home without being able to finish.
She is one of an estimated 171 million students worldwide whose schooling was disrupted by climate hazards in 2025, according to a new UNICEF report released Wednesday: that’s roughly one in ten students, from pre-school through to the end of high school.
Storms were the most common cause of disruptions – affecting 109 million students – followed by floods and heatwaves.
They led to suspended classes, damaged schools, a shift to remote learning, shortened instructional time, reduced school attendance and increased risk of dropping out for millions.
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Taudibura and her classmates in Papua New Guinea face even more extreme weather this year. The stronger-than-ever El Niño climate pattern is expected to increase the risk of extreme weather in the coming months.
“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,” she explained.
Poorest countries hardest hit
While students across all income levels were impacted by disruptions, three-quarters affected live in low and lower-middle-income countries, according to UNICEF, as education systems there often lack the resources needed to safeguard learning during climate-related emergencies.
For example, in Pakistan – one of the most affected countries in the study – severe monsoon floods in August delayed the return to school for over 28 million students, making it one of the largest climate-related education disruptions recorded in 2025.
Similarly, in Egypt, a powerful Khamsin (wind and dust) storm prompted a nationwide suspension of classes for one day in April, also affecting more than 28 million students.
Girls most vulnerable
Girls are more likely than boys to drop out when climate hazards disrupt or close schools, the report finds.
When schools and sanitation facilities are damaged, and families are displaced and lose income, girls tend to be given additional caregiving and water-collection responsibilities.
These pressures can also increase the risk of being forced into child marriage, which makes it very difficult for girls to return to school once they reopen.
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Long-term consequences
“For millions of children, climate hazards do more than disrupt lessons, they destroy schools, uproot families, and push the most vulnerable children, especially girls, out of the classroom for good,” stressed UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Unless clear action is taken to help them, students who experienced climate-related school disruptions in 2025 could cumulatively lose at least $200 billion in lifetime earnings, according to the report.
At a macro scale, learning losses and higher school dropout rates can reduce workforce productivity, slow economic growth, and make it harder for countries to reduce poverty.
UNICEF is now calling on governments worldwide to invest more heavily in climate-resilient educational systems and infrastructure “to protect education for children today and for future generations,” in Ms. Russell’s words.
