Education

In 2023 alone, millions of people were displaced or died due to extreme weather events. Women and girls in climate hotspots disproportionally suffer the effects of climate impacts, pushing more girls out of school and placing them at greater risk of child marriage, violence, and exploitation. Climate-related disasters disrupt the education of  40…, Making education systems climate-resilient: Global progress , Governments worldwide are taking action to make sure that children have access to climate education, that teachers are supported to teach about climate and sustainability, and that climate-related events do not disrupt children’s education. However, a rapid survey of UNICEF offices in 94 low- and middle-income countries shows inconsistent progress…, Young people: Not just victims but climate action leaders, Children and young people are investing their time and energy in taking climate action to make our world greener and more sustainable. Let us take inspiration from these children and young people who are championing our planet every day.  , Francisco Vera, Portrait of Francisco Vera, 14, UNICEF Youth Advocate from Colombia, made on 5 December 2023 during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I am 14 years old, and I was born in Colombia. I live in Spain and I am an activist and defender of the human right to a healthy, clean, and dignified…, Tina, My name is Tina from Egypt, and if you're reading this, you're probably as eco-curious as I am! I am part of a youth collective. We wanted to do more than just catch people's attention. We wanted to change our mindsets. So, we brainstormed and launched "Us and Climate Change." The plan was to equip teachers to be climate mentors, giving them the…, Afroza, Afroza, Bangladesh I am an 18-year-old youth leader from Bangladesh. In our community people face a lot of problems like floods and storms, losing their homes and livelihoods. I am actively involved in youth development and community engagement. I collaborate with fellow youths to develop their skills and tackle pressing issues such as climate…

Ezekial Jacobs, a 33-year-old school teacher from Nigeria is no stranger to crisis. Civil armed conflict and violence has gripped Ezekial’s home in the North-East region since 2009, forcing more than 1 million children out of school , damaging over 400 schools and resulting in the deaths of over 2,295 teachers. With the region gradually recovering…

Months ago, I had the privilege of meeting a remarkable colleague named Steward Francis. Despite being in different time zones and thousands of miles apart, we connected via video chat. During our conversation, I was in awe as Steward shared his incredible journey from Yambio, South Sudan, to his current position as an education specialist with…

During COP26 in 2021, I remember seeing photos of thousands of youth climate activists outside the conference in Glasgow. Seeing young people like me mobilise to protect our planet was astonishing and inspired me. I was born in Maharashtra, the second most populous state in India, with a population of 118 million people. The state of Maharashtra…

With schools now reopened around the world, countries are called to take transformative action on education financing to recover and accelerate learning for all children, especially the poorest and most marginalized. Findings from our recent study, however, reveal that we have yet to overcome hurdles to equitable education financing: in far too…

I first met Von Shant Shan while visiting the Yangon School for Blinds, 30 minutes from Yangon's busy downtown area. Walking past the school building, I noticed several young children playing together in the schoolyard. Then, as I approached the classrooms, I saw Von Shant Shan, a young girl with a beautiful smile. She was sitting in the corner of…

Did you know that the power of computers has been doubling roughly every two years since the 1960s? Every day it seems there’s a new app or piece of tech that unlocks new and efficient ways to do things; to better engage with the world, or with learning. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the longstanding gender digital divide. Even though…

TAUNGGYI, Myanmar – Thae Thae Su Aung, 14, knows what she wants for her future. "I want to go to school, study hard and become a doctor my family can depend on," she says. "My sister and mother are frail and have chronic illnesses, so I want to help them." Yet, like many adolescents in Myanmar, Thae Thae Su Aung had to stop her learning first due…

We are all wired to play. From the moment we are born, play brings us joy and comfort, builds relationships and opens the door to learning. But importantly, during the first 1,000 days of life, a child’s brain is twice as active as an adult’s. And it’s clear when you see it – watching a young child play and learn is like watching a light turn on.…

Last week at the United Nations’ Transforming Education Summit (TES) world leaders, education experts, and activists spotlighted the urgency to recover pre-pandemic and COVID-related learning losses and agreed to ensure children all over the world are given the building blocks they need to go on to thrive in school. We are confident that today’s…

Over the past three years, the pandemic has brought profound disruptions to children’s learning, exacerbating the pre-existing global learning crisis. We need to act urgently to recover learning and seize this opportunity to build education systems back better. Yet, new findings from the fourth round of the Survey on National Education Responses…, 1. Implement a ‘REACH all’ effort., Reaching every child is the common denominator of education recovery. At primary and secondary education levels, most countries are taking measures such as automatic re-enrolment and community mobilization campaigns to return children to school. However, a quarter of countries have yet to collect information on children who have and have not…, 2. ASSESS children’s learning levels, In March 2022, a review of existing studies found that fewer than 20 per cent of countries had published information on the actual impact of school closures on learning. As children return to school, we need to assess what they know, understand and can do, to inform policies and instruction. Encouragingly, a majority of countries have resumed…, 3. And PRIORITIZE curriculum standards and teaching to meet students where they are, We need to prioritize fundamental knowledge and skills in the curriculum to help children recover more quickly from learning loss. In many countries, children lacked foundational skills even before the pandemic, and overloaded curricula makes it difficult for them to catch up – especially after long periods of school closures. Despite the loss of…, 5. DEVELOP children’s overall well-being, Aside from its negative effects on learning, the pandemic has imperiled children’s mental health and overall well-being. The reopening of schools presents an exceptional opportunity to ensure that all children have access to a safe and supportive learning environment with enhanced access to essential services. Yet, fewer than two thirds of…

Restorative practice describes a way of being, an underpinning ethos, which enables us to build and maintain healthy relationships. It provides a strong framework within which we can promote a whole-school ethos founded on the importance of relationships. This includes a range of approaches to managing conflict and tensions in a way that repairs…