Over 400 million students have faced school closures in the last three years alone following climate change-induced disasters with most living in low- to medium-income countries (LMICs). This trend threatens hard-won educational progress, undoing decades of gains, according to a recent report by the World Bank.
On average, climate-related events caused schools to lose 28 instructional days between 2022 and 2024 although LMICs were harder hit, losing 45 days on average. Furthermore, these closures also tend to affect the most marginalized sections of society, exacerbating existing inequalities.
Intersection between climate change and health
The impact of climate change on education is compounded by its effects on health. Rising temperatures, together with unprecedented weather events, only serve to exacerbate different health conditions and further deteriorate education outcomes for children. This has been echoed by a study that found that extreme temperatures resulted in increased allergies, heatstroke, fainting, vomiting, and diarrhoea among students in India which kept them out of school.
In situations where children are exposed to high temperatures and deteriorating air quality, physical health problems and respiratory issues associated with asthma make concentration or school attendance difficult.
In addition, through the perpetuation of fragility and conflict in the most vulnerable countries, climate change will increasingly ensure that some children do not have any education at all in regions where literacy levels are already low given that only three in 10 children in sub-Saharan Africa achieve the minimum reading proficiency by the end of primary school. Meanwhile, 78% of Southern Asia children aged 10 are unable to read and understand simple text according to UNICEF.
Education disrupted: A socio-economic time bomb
A socio-economic time bomb is the long-term consequence of this disruption to education the report found. Education is a key contributor to breaking poverty cycles, improving employability, and fostering economic development. However, when systems fail due to climate-induced disruptions, students are less likely to return to school, leading to reduced educational attainment and resultant lower earning levels. This reduced human capital will translate into lower economic productivity, further entrenching poverty in already disadvantaged areas.
Research indicates that girls tend to be the most susceptible to dropping out during prolonged school closures and, once out of the system, many never return. For instance, In Malawi, 30% of adolescent girls who left school during the COVID-19 pandemic did not return after lockdown compared to 15% of boys. This has a broader implication because a lower level of education among females acts as an adverse trigger on health, economic growth, and social stability.
Education’s role in climate action
A global analysis based on data from 96 countries indicated that education is the strongest predictor of climate change awareness and revealed that an additional year of education increased climate awareness by 8.6%.
In LMICs, education is particularly important for its ability to change behaviors that are linked to adapting to climate change. Higher educated people are better equipped to respond to and prepare for disasters, suffer fewer negative consequences, and recover from them more quickly. Researchers have found that greater education leads to more climate-friendly behavior and a better awareness of climate change.
The report indicates that education, especially at the upper secondary and tertiary levels, can generate green skills at scale to significantly drive green transitions. These skills are becoming increasingly important, the report found.
Although tertiary education is a vehicle for green skilling, it remains under-used partly because of prevailing misconceptions about the nature of these skills. For instance, nearly 54% of youth across eight LMICs mistakenly believe green skills are only attainable through a Master’s degree. Approximately 73% of people erroneously think that if they do not have science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills, it will be impossible for them to secure a green job.
Finally, education systems can be used to foster climate adaptation strategies in LMICs. By teaching students how to act in a climate crisis, the education system can transform them into agents of change who can accelerate the wheels of climate action at a local level, the report found.