Climate change disrupts learning in Africa – UNESCO

Sifelani Tsiko

Innovations Editor

Climate change is increasingly disrupting students from learning in many parts of Africa and other developing countries, a new study shows.
According to the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM), climate-related stressors like heat, wildfires, floods, droughts, diseases, and rising sea levels are affecting education outcomes and threatening to undo educational gains made in recent years.
UNESCO, the Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education (MECCE) project, and the University of Saskatchewan in Canada compiled this report.
The report showed that most African and other developing countries are experiencing climate-related school closures every year, thereby increasing the chances of losing learning time and drop-outs.
“Climate change-related impacts are disrupting education systems and outcomes,” reads part of the report.
“Direct effects include the destruction of education infrastructure as well as injuries and loss of life among students, parents and school staff. Climate change also has a negative impact on education indirectly through its displacement of people and the effects on people’s livelihoods and health.”
The report noted that over the past 20 years, schools were closed during at least 75 percent of extreme weather events, thereby impacting five million people or more.
It also showed that exposure to heat has significant detrimental effects on children’s educational outcomes.
An analysis in 29 countries between 1969 and 2012 showed that exposure to higher-than-average temperatures during the pre-natal and early life period is associated with fewer years of schooling.
UN experts advocate for the inclusion of sustainability and climate education in the curricula of all institutions at all levels.