The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has called for urgent and stronger measures to protect schools, teachers and students as attacks on educational institutions worldwide rose by 33 per cent in 2025.

The agency said 1,680 attacks on schools were verified by the United Nations last year, compared with 1,265 recorded in 2024, highlighting what it described as an alarming deterioration in the safety of education in conflict-affected areas.

UNESCO raised the concern on Wednesday, September 9, to mark the 2026 International Day to Protect Education from Attack, a global observance established to draw attention to the devastating consequences of violence against learners and education workers.

The annual event also seeks to reaffirm the fundamental right of children and young people to receive education in safety and dignity, even during periods of war and humanitarian crisis.

“On this International Day to Protect Education from Attack, UNESCO expresses its grave concern over the continued rise in attacks on schools around the world,” the organisation said.

The agency noted that the crisis extends beyond physical attacks on schools, with an estimated 258 million children and adolescents worldwide experiencing disruptions to their education as a result of conflict and other crises.

Of that figure, about 93 million children are completely out of school.

UNESCO said the burden is particularly severe in a relatively small number of countries, with nearly eight out of every 10 out-of-school and crisis-affected children—about 74 million—living in just 20 countries.

The most vulnerable children face even greater barriers. According to the agency, 74 per cent of refugee children, 52 per cent of internally displaced children and 45 per cent of children with disabilities are out of school in crisis settings.

UNESCO stressed that parties involved in armed conflicts have an obligation under international law to protect education and ensure that schools are not turned into targets or instruments of warfare.

The warning comes amid a broader escalation in grave violations against children caught up in armed conflict.

The UN said 24,174 children were affected by grave violations in 2025, out of 38,558 verified violations documented during the year.

Killing and maiming accounted for the largest share, affecting 14,224 children. Others were recruited or used by armed groups, abducted or denied access to humanitarian assistance.

The UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict also warned that fighting is increasingly taking place in densely populated communities, exposing children to airstrikes, artillery bombardments and explosive drones.

As a result, schools, homes, hospitals and other civilian facilities have been damaged or destroyed, while children face additional dangers when fleeing violence or attempting to obtain basic necessities such as food, water and medical care.

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.

Advertisement

For the first time, the report indicated that government forces were responsible for the majority of verified grave violations.

Despite the worsening situation, the UN and its partners continue to regard education as a critical form of protection for children living through crises.

They argue that keeping children connected to education provides not only academic opportunities but also safety, stability and a sense of normalcy while helping them develop the skills needed to rebuild their communities after conflict.

Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, has launched its “Hope Starts Here” campaign, seeking $600 million to support safe and quality education for 10 million children living in some of the world’s most difficult environments.

The organisation estimates that 258 million children across 87 countries are facing severe disruption to their education as a result of insecurity and other crises.

Marking the International Day, Education Cannot Wait warned that the global education crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of increasing conflict, declining restraint and weakening respect for international norms.

“When a child is denied schooling for years, the consequences are immediate and profound,” said Maysa Jalbout, Director of Education Cannot Wait.

She warned that prolonged exclusion from education can result in lost literacy, disrupted routines and increased exposure to recruiters and traffickers.

A report supported by Education Cannot Wait further revealed that attacks on education and the military use of schools reached record levels in 2024 and 2025.

Across 28 countries examined in the report, there were at least 9,259 attacks on education, including more than 3,600 attacks on schools. The figure represents an increase of more than 50 per cent compared with the 2022–2023 period.

More than 10,600 students and education workers were also killed, injured or abducted, while the military use of schools nearly doubled during the period under review.

Jalbout said protecting education during emergencies must go beyond simply ensuring that children remain enrolled in school.

“It is about protecting them at their most vulnerable: offering safety, stability, a sense of normalcy, and a path toward a future beyond crisis,” she said.

With violence increasingly threatening education systems in conflict zones, UNESCO and its partners are urging governments, armed groups and the international community to strengthen protection for schools and uphold the principle that classrooms must remain places of learning rather than targets of war.