A troubling new report has revealed a dramatic escalation in violent incidents targeting education worldwide, with attacks on schools, students, and staff rising by 40% over the past two years. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) documented over 8,556 incidents in 2024 and 2025, resulting in more than 10,600 casualties, including deaths, injuries, and abductions across 83 countries. This alarming trend underscores the deteriorating safety of educational environments, particularly in conflict zones.
Escalating Violence in Conflict Zones
The report highlights the most affected regions, notably Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Palestine, and Ukraine. Ukraine alone suffered approximately 900 attacks on educational facilities, while Palestine faced an astonishing 2,400 assaults against students and educators.
The findings also revealed a disturbing increase in the military occupation of schools and universities, with reported cases nearly doubling to 1,912. Lisa Chung Bender, the GCPEA director, emphasised the grave implications of these statistics. “These findings are a wake-up call about the peril facing education,” she stated. “They signal a collapse of the global norms that once safeguarded children, warning us that if we don’t take action now, we risk losing these protections permanently.”
The Human Cost of Education Under Siege
The highest toll from these attacks has been observed in Myanmar, Nigeria, Yemen, and Cameroon, where over 1,700 students and educational staff have been either killed or injured. In Nigeria alone, more than 700 individuals were reported kidnapped, while Myanmar experienced at least 80 fatalities and around 240 injuries among students and staff.
Prof Tejendra Pherali, an expert in education, conflict, and peace at University College London, noted the systematic nature of these attacks. He remarked, “It’s heartbreaking to see these numbers ascend; this pattern is becoming increasingly entrenched. For many children, schools no longer represent a sanctuary. The consequences extend beyond education—they jeopardise safety, futures, and trust in educational institutions.”
Alarmingly, the report also indicates that women and girls have been specifically targeted in at least 11 countries due to their gender. In a striking incident from Nigeria on 17 November 2025, gunmen stormed a girls’ boarding school, resulting in the death of the vice-principal and the abduction of 25 students.
Attacks Impacting Marginalised Groups
Students with disabilities face additional hurdles in accessing education, compounded by violent incidents. In a shocking episode on 11 September 2025 in Lebanon, the Israeli military conducted a controlled detonation to destroy a school catering to children with special needs, further illustrating the indiscriminate nature of these assaults.
The report also highlighted the increasing use of high explosives, including drone-launched munitions, leading to severe casualties and infrastructural damage, thereby perpetuating the cycle of violence and instability.
A Call to Action
Kieran King from War Child UK condemned these attacks as flagrant violations of international law, specifically the Geneva Conventions. He pointed out a staggering 373% increase in attacks on education since 2010, coinciding with a 60% rise in children living in conflict zones. King noted that the failure of states to face repercussions for such actions has exacerbated the crisis. “The current weakening of the multilateral system and the political impunity surrounding war crimes are contributing to this surge in violations,” he asserted.
Chung Bender from GCPEA insisted that the situation is not beyond remedy. “Governments must cease the military use of schools, enhance legal protections, and invest in robust monitoring and early warning systems,” she urged.
The grim statistics arrive at a time when global conflicts are at their highest since World War II, with 65 active conflicts reported in 2025—13 of which are classified as wars, causing over 1,000 battle-related deaths in a single year. Alarmingly, organised violence resulted in over 244,000 fatalities in 2025, marking it as one of the bloodiest years since the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
Why it Matters
The dramatic rise in attacks on educational institutions poses a critical threat to the very foundations of society. Education is not only a basic human right but also a fundamental pillar for peace and development. When schools become battlegrounds, the futures of countless children are jeopardised, leading to a cycle of poverty and instability. The international community must take decisive action to safeguard educational environments, ensuring that every child has the right to learn in safety and security. Without urgent intervention, the consequences will reverberate for generations to come.
