Record number of attacks on education reported by global fund

Some 93 million children are out of class as the northern hemisphere school year begins, with an unprecedented number of attacks on learning documented worldwide, education experts warned on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. Marking the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, global fund Education Cannot Wait issued the warning, according to United Nations (UN) News. The fund reports that 258 million children across 87 countries face severe learning disruption due to insecurity and other factors. The alert comes against a backdrop of “increasing conflict, decreasing restraint and eroding global norms” in several regions. The findings underscore mounting risks to children in crisis-affected settings.

Education Cannot Wait is the global fund for education in emergencies, operating in crisis-affected countries. The fund’s warning coincides with the observance highlighting threats to schools, students, and educators in conflict zones. UNESCO, the UN education and cultural agency, stressed the obligation for all parties to conflict to respect international law and spare education from attack. Nearly eight in 10 of all out-of-school and crisis-affected children – some 74 million – live in just 20 countries. Within these settings, 74 percent of refugee children, 52 percent of internally displaced children, and 45 percent of children with disabilities are out of school.

According to a report partnered by the fund, attacks on education and the use of schools for armed conflict reached a record high in 2024 and 2025. In the 28 countries profiled, education was targeted in attacks, or schools and universities were used for military purposes. There were at least 9,259 attacks on education, including more than 3,600 on schools, representing a more than 50 percent increase compared to 2022-2023. More than 10,600 students and educators were killed, injured or abducted, while the military use of schools nearly doubled. The number of students and staff harmed has never been higher.

“When a child is denied schooling for years, the consequences are immediate and profound: it means forgotten literacy, lost routines and a future dictated by recruiters or traffickers, rather than teachers,” said Maysa Jalbout, Director of Education Cannot Wait.

Latest UN data indicate 24,174 children were impacted by conflict in 2025, out of 38,558 verified violations. Killing and maiming affected 14,224 children, while others were recruited, abducted, and denied humanitarian assistance. The highest number of grave violations was verified in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar and Somalia. For the first time, Government forces were responsible for the majority of verified grave violations.

The UN Secretary General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict notes that fighting increasingly took place in densely populated areas, exposing children to airstrikes, artillery and explosive drones. Homes, schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure were damaged or destroyed, while children faced danger fleeing violence or seeking food, water and medical care. The UN and its partners maintain that education protects children in crisis from harm while giving them the skills to rebuild their communities. Education Cannot Wait’s Hope Starts Here campaign seeks $600 million to ensure that 10 million children “in the world’s toughest places” can access safe, quality education. The appeal reinforces calls to shield schools and learners from the impacts of armed conflict.