*As Violent Attacks On Educational Institutions, Pupils, Staff Surge Globally
Nigeria, Myanmar, Yemen and Cameroun recorded the highest numbers of people who fell victim to attacks on education from 2024 to now.
More than 1,700 students and staff in total were killed or injured within the period as attacks on education globally surged by 40%.
In an approximate total, there were more than 8,556 recorded incidents and 10,600 students and staff killed, injured, abducted, arrested or otherwise harmed in 2024 and 2025 globally, according to new research.
A report from the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) disclosed these on Monday, 15 June, 2026.
Director of GCPEA, Lisa Chung Bender, said the report’s findings sounded the alarm about the threat to education.
Attacks were reported in 83 countries, with the highest incidences recorded in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Palestine and Ukraine.
Ukraine experienced about 900 attacks on schools, while Palestine saw at least 2,400 attacks on students and staff,the body said.
“They are a warning that the global norms that once protected children are collapsing,” she said.
“A warning that the world is drifting toward a place where even the youngest are no longer off‑limits. And a warning that if we do not hold the line now, we may never get it back,” Bender added.
In at least 11 countries, women and girls were targeted because of their gender, the report found.
In one example in Nigeria, on 17 November 2025, gunmen attacked a girls’ boarding school, killing the vice-principal and abducting 25 female pupils,it recalled.
Students with disabilities, who already face significant obstacles to accessing education, were also affected.
On 11 September 2025 in Lebanon, sources said the Israeli military carried out a controlled detonation to destroy a school for children with special needs, the group revealed.
The use of high explosives, including drone-borne munitions, featured frequently in the attacks on schools, resulting in extensive casualties, damage to infrastructure and forcing many institutions to close.
Kieran King, from the charity War Child UK, said attacks on education were a grave violation of international law, such as the Geneva Conventions.
“The reality is that since 2010, we have seen a 60% increase of children living in conflict,” he said. “Over the same period, we’ve seen grave violations against children, including attacks on education, increase by 373%.”
King added that nations acting without fear of sanction and aid cuts were worsening the situation.
“We see this weakening multilateral system and political impunity for war crimes more broadly,” he said. “The inevitable result of that is a documented surge in disregard for international humanitarian law.”
Professor of Education, Conflict and peyace at University College London, Professor Tejendra Pherali, said: “It’s heartbreaking to see numbers are rising; it is the same pattern every year … In my view, this is more systematic rather than episodic, and attacks are increasingly strategic.”
He added: “Behind these numbers are the children who no longer see schools as a place of safety. It’s not just education that is lost – it’s safety, futures and trust in educational institutions.”
Bender insisted that the attacks were preventable, however.
“We need states to end military use of schools, strengthen legal protection and accountability for attacks on education, and invest in monitoring, reporting and early warning systems,” she said.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Protesters call for the release of pupils and teachers kidnapped in May from three schools in Oyo State, with girls often the target of attacks.
