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Education Cannot Wait Calls for Urgent Action

On September 10, 2025, in observance of the International Day for the Protection of Education from Attacks, the global initiative Education Cannot Wait (ECW) made a powerful call for the immediate cessation of attacks on educational institutions worldwide. This annual event underscores the alarming reality faced by countless children whose right to education is severely compromised due to violence and conflict.

ECW is advocating for adherence to International Humanitarian Law and the Safe Schools Declaration, emphasizing that attacks on schools are among the six grave violations against children during wartime. Education is not only a fundamental human right but also a vital source of stability and hope for millions of children around the globe who are caught in conflicts.

One poignant example of the current crisis occurred just weeks before the new academic year when Vasylkivka Support Lyceum No. 1 in Ukraine was struck by a missile on August 19. It is through the ECW Multi-Year Resilience Program that this school, which provides education to 685 students, receives financial backing. Thankfully, no casualties were reported, but the assault caused substantial damage, disrupting the continuity of education that these children depend on.

Data from the United Nations reveals an unsettling trend: between 2022 and 2023 alone, there were nearly 6,000 recorded attacks against students, educators, and educational facilities. The military use of schools also rose by 20% during this same period. Tragically, over 10,000 students were reported as casualties—whether killed, kidnapped, arrested, or injured—as a direct result of these violent incidents.

The findings in the Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict for 2024 from the UN Secretary-General are nothing short of horrifying, detailing a staggering 41,370 incidents of grave violations against children in conflict zones—the highest number since the mandate was established almost three decades ago.

The data highlights the most affected regions, including Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (8,554 incidents), the Democratic Republic of Congo (4,043), Somalia (2,568), Nigeria (2,436), and Haiti (2,269). Countries that recorded the most significant spikes in violations include Lebanon (545%), Mozambique (525%), Haiti (490%), Ethiopia (235%), and Ukraine (105%). With attacks on schools alone surging by 44% and incidents of sexual violence erupting by 34%, the situation demands immediate global attention and action.

ECW, along with its strategic partners, emphasizes that we can and must do better for the millions of children who are living on the frontline of brutal conflicts. This commitment includes providing essential educational support worldwide—offering psychosocial assistance, creating safe learning environments, specialized teacher training, classroom reconstruction, and school feeding programs.

Despite the extensive damage inflicted by the missile attack at Vasylkivka, the school staff and community remain resolute in their commitment to reopening. Their courageous actions serve as a source of inspiration, compelling all of us to advocate for an end to the relentless and horrific attacks on schools that occur daily across the planet. International funding for education must be significantly increased to ensure that the future of these children, and indeed our global community, remains intact.

Investing in education today is investing in a more peaceful tomorrow for all. We must rally together to protect our children's right to learn and thrive, no matter the circumstances.