Climate change is not only a global environmental issue but also a critical threat to education systems worldwide. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires are causing massive disruptions in schooling. These events lead to significant learning losses, higher dropout rates, and long-term detrimental impacts on students, says a report from World Bank.
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL IMPACT
Frequency and Intensity of Disasters
A 10-year-old in 2024 will face double the number of wildfires and tropical cyclones, triple the river floods, quadruple the crop failures, and quintuple the droughts compared to a 10-year-old in 1970. Even with drastic climate mitigation strategies, the effects of these extreme weather events will persist, continuously impacting education outcomes, says the report.
School Closures Due to Disasters
Over the past 20 years, schools closed in approximately 75% of extreme weather events affecting 5 million people or more. These closures were often extended due to infrastructure vulnerabilities and the need to use school buildings as emergency shelters.
When cyclone Freddy hit Southern Africa in March 2023 nearly 5 percent of students across Malawi faced school closures. In the Philippines, over 21 percent of schools are flooded at least once every school year, and this can happen twice a month in some areas. During the 2022 flooding in Pakistan, estimates show that 3.5 million children had schooling disrupted and 1 million children could stop attending school.
LEARNING LOSSES FROM SCHOOL CLOSURES AND RISING TEMPERATURES
Evidence from COVID-19
Research from the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that each day of school closure results in a day of learning lost. This is exacerbated during extreme weather events, leading to significant cumulative learning deficits over time.
Impact of Rising Temperatures
High temperatures also inhibit learning. In regions experiencing extreme heat, students often face reduced cognitive functioning and decreased academic performance. For example, students in the hottest 10% of Brazilian municipalities lost about 1% of learning per year due to increased heat exposure. This equates to losing 0.66-1.5 years of learning over a typical academic career.
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES
The cumulative effect of learning losses leads to lower productivity, significant income losses, increased inequality, and potential social unrest. As educational attainment diminishes, the broader economic development and social cohesion are jeopardized.
EDUCATION OVERLOOKED IN CLIMATE POLICY
Despite the catastrophic impact on education, it remains underrepresented in climate policy agendas. In 2020, education accounted for less than 1.3% of climate-related official development assistance and was mentioned in fewer than one-third of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) plans.
FOUR STRATEGIES TO PROTECT EDUCATION FROM CLIMATE CHANGE
1. Education Management for Resilience
Governments must prioritize resilient education management practices. This includes developing emergency response plans, training staff for disaster preparedness, and ensuring robust communication systems to keep the education system functional during crises.
2. Resilient School Infrastructure
Investing in resilient infrastructure is crucial. Schools should be built or retrofitted to withstand extreme weather events, ensuring they remain safe and operational. This also involves creating multipurpose facilities that can serve as emergency shelters without disrupting educational activities.
3. Ensuring Learning Continuity
To maintain learning continuity during climate shocks, governments should implement flexible education delivery methods. This includes online learning platforms, take-home materials, and community-based education programs that can function even when schools are closed.
4. Leveraging Students and Teachers as Change Agents
Students and teachers can be powerful advocates for climate action. Education systems should incorporate climate literacy into curricula, empowering students and educators to understand and address climate issues. This also involves engaging them in community-based climate resilience projects.