Conflict, displacement and climate shocks are disrupting education for an estimated 258 million school-aged children and adolescents worldwide, raising fears that millions risk losing not only years of schooling but future opportunities altogether. The findings come from a new report released on 23 June 2026 by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN global fund for education in crises, according to a press release. The report paints one of the clearest pictures yet of the growing education emergency unfolding in some of the world's most vulnerable communities. Among the children affected, 93 million are entirely out of school. Millions more remain enrolled but cannot learn under conditions that undermine progress and increase the likelihood they will eventually drop out.