Education in Crisis: A Call for Action to Protect Schools from Attacks

The ongoing crisis surrounding education worldwide has reached alarming levels, particularly on the International Day for the Protection of Education from Attack, which highlights the urgent need for action. Education Cannot Wait (ECW) has issued a powerful plea for an immediate stop to assaults on schools and underscores the importance of continuous financial support for the millions of children whose education has been devastated by these grave violations of their human rights.

In recent years, educational institutions have increasingly become targets of violence, with attacks reported globally. Just weeks before the 2025 school year, the Vasylkivka Support Lyceum No. 1 in Ukraine suffered a missile strike, resulting in significant damage but, fortunately, no casualties. This particular school serves 685 students and receives funding from ECW’s Multi-Year Resilience Program, demonstrating the pivotal role of such support in affected regions.

The statistics are grim—between 2022 and 2023, the United Nations documented approximately 6,000 attacks on students, educators, and school facilities. Military use of schools has surged by 20% during this period, with over 10,000 children either killed, abducted, detained, or injured due to these barbaric acts. This reflects a broader trend of escalating human rights violations against children impacted by armed conflict, as reported in the UN Secretary General’s annual report on children and armed conflict. Alarmingly, a record 41,370 severe violations against children were recorded, marking the highest count since the establishment of the mandate nearly three decades ago.

Areas severely affected include Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti. Incredibly, certain regions are experiencing a staggering increase in violations, including Lebanon (545%), Mozambique (525%), Haiti (490%), Ethiopia (235%), and Ukraine (105%). This data underscores the dire situation facing children around the world, with attacks on educational institutions rising by 44% and sexual violence also on the rise, increasing by 34%.

As global citizens, we must do better and be better. Lives are contingent upon the possibilities that education brings, and it is crucial that we maintain hope for children living amidst the brutality of armed conflicts. Education Cannot Wait and its strategic partners are heavily investing in life-saving educational support initiatives worldwide. These efforts include mental health and psychosocial support, safe learning environments, specialized teacher training, the reconstruction of classrooms, and provision of nutritious school meals.

Despite the damage inflicted by the attack on Vasylkivka Support Lyceum No. 1, the resolve of the staff and the community remains unshaken as they aim to reopen the school. Their unwavering courage is a clarion call to the international community to demand an immediate end to violent assaults on schools occurring daily worldwide and to advocate for increased international education funding.

Investing in education today means investing in a brighter, more peaceful future for all children. The world can and must come together to support the right to education, reinforcing our collective commitment to protect the innocent lives that depend on it. By responding proactively and ensuring the security of educational settings, we can lay the groundwork for a more equitable and hopeful tomorrow.

Education Under Attack