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The Impact of Climate Change on Education and School Closures
Explore how climate change affects education systems worldwide, leading to increased school closures and disruptions. Understand the implications for students’ learning and the long-term consequences for communities in this insightful analysis.
The Impact of Climate Change on Education
The persistent reliance on fossil fuels is leading to widespread school closures across the globe, disrupting education for children and threatening the significant advancements made in recent decades. This situation highlights one of the most pressing inequalities brought about by climate change: the stark difference in educational experiences between generations. Recent data from UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, reveals that today’s children are enduring a far greater number of excessively hot days in their lives compared to their grandparents.
To grasp the magnitude of the issue, consider the recent instances of school closures:
- Pakistan: Schools were closed for half of the student population—approximately 26 million children—for an entire week in May, as temperatures were predicted to exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
- Bangladesh: During an April heat wave, schools were shut down for half of the students, impacting around 33 million children.
- South Sudan: Similar school closures occurred in April due to extreme heat conditions.
- The Philippines: The government issued a two-day school closure when temperatures reached what was deemed “danger” levels by the national meteorological agency.
- United States: Numerous districts, from Massachusetts to Colorado, have experienced school closures or early dismissals due to heat days in recent years. Although these closures still represent a small fraction of total school days, recent estimates indicate a rapid increase—from about three heat-related days per year a few years ago to approximately six now, with projections suggesting even higher numbers by mid-century.
In summary, the rise in heat waves, driven by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is significantly hindering educational opportunities. Even when schools remain open, excessively high temperatures over prolonged periods can adversely affect learning outcomes, including test scores, as research has demonstrated. Lily Caprani, UNICEF’s chief of advocacy, expressed deep concern, stating, “We are profoundly worried that the increasing frequency of extreme heat days will lead to indirect learning loss for children.”