liberation.fr
Climate Change Disrupts Education for 250 Million Children in 2024
Extreme weather events disrupted the schooling of nearly 250 million children in 2024, mainly due to heatwaves impacting 171 million, with Asia, particularly India and Bangladesh, being the most affected regions. UNICEF urges investments in climate-resilient schools to mitigate future risks.
- What is the global impact of extreme weather events on children's education in 2024, and what are the primary causes?
- In 2024, extreme weather events disrupted the schooling of nearly 250 million children globally, primarily due to heatwaves affecting 171 million. This represents one in seven children and highlights the significant, neglected impact of climate change on education.
- How did the disruption of schooling vary geographically, and which factors contributed most significantly to the interruptions?
- The disruption, affecting 85 countries, included school closures, delayed openings, and altered schedules. Asia, particularly India and Bangladesh, experienced the most significant impacts, with heatwaves as the leading cause. This underscores the disproportionate effect of climate change on vulnerable populations.
- What are the long-term consequences of climate-related school closures, and what investments are needed to address these challenges?
- Continued high greenhouse gas emissions project an eightfold increase in children exposed to heatwaves by 2050 compared to 2000. Prolonged school closures risk increasing dropout rates, especially for girls, exacerbating the global learning crisis. Investing in climate-resilient school infrastructure is crucial to mitigate these effects.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The framing emphasizes the severity of the impact of climate change on children's education, using strong emotional language like "neglect" and "devastating." While highlighting the issue's urgency is important, the framing might unintentionally downplay the efforts already underway to mitigate these issues or the resilience shown by affected communities.
Language Bias
The report uses strong emotional language, such as "devastating typhon" and describing the heat as "suffocating." While this language effectively conveys the urgency, it could be moderated to maintain a more neutral tone. For example, "severe typhon" and "intense heat" would be less emotionally charged alternatives.
Bias by Omission
The report focuses heavily on the impact of extreme weather on children's education, but it could benefit from including perspectives on the socioeconomic factors that exacerbate the vulnerability of certain populations to these disruptions. For example, the lack of access to resources like air conditioning in schools disproportionately affects poorer communities, and this aspect isn't explicitly addressed. Additionally, the long-term psychological effects on children experiencing these disruptions are not explored.
Gender Bias
The report mentions that prolonged school closures increase the risk of girls dropping out of school, acknowledging the gendered impact of climate change. However, a more in-depth analysis of gender-specific vulnerabilities and solutions could strengthen the report.
Sustainable Development Goals
Extreme weather events caused significant disruptions to schooling for nearly 250 million children in 2024, impacting their education and potentially leading to increased dropout rates. Heat waves caused the most significant disruptions, while typhoons and floods also resulted in school closures and damage to infrastructure. This directly affects the SDG's goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.