Study Buddy (Challenger): 242 million children’s schooling disrupted by climate shocks in 2024, says Unicef

[2] Heatwaves had the biggest impact, the report showed, as Unicef’s executive director Catherine Russell warned children are “more vulnerable” to extreme weather. “They heat up faster, they sweat less efficiently, and cool down more slowly than adults,” she said in a statement. “Children cannot concentrate in classrooms that offer no respite from sweltering heat, and they cannot get to school if the path is flooded or if schools are washed away.”

[3] Human activity, including the unrestricted burning of fossil fuels over decades, has warmed the planet and changed weather patterns. Global average temperatures hit record highs in 2024. Heat and storms have intensified, making populations more vulnerable to disasters. The 242 million figure is a “conservative estimate,” the Unicef report said, citing gaps in the data.

[4] Students of all ages saw classes suspended, timetables shifted, and schools damaged or destroyed due to climatic shocks, the available data showed. At least 171 million children were affected by heatwaves, including 118 million in April alone, as temperatures soared in Bangladesh, India, Thailand and the Philippines.

[5] In the Philippines in particular, thousands of non-air conditioned schools were closed, with children at risk of hyperthermia. September, which marks the start of the school year in many countries, was also heavily impacted. Classes were suspended in 18 countries, notably due to the devastating typhoon Yagi in East Asia and the Pacific.

[6] South Asia was the region hardest hit by climate-related school interruptions, with 128 million schoolchildren affected. India had the most children impacted – 54 million, mainly by heatwaves, which also affected 35 million children in Bangladesh. The figures are likely to rise as temperatures continue going up, with half the world’s children – around one billion – living in countries at high risk of climate and environmental shocks.

[7] If the emission of greenhouse gases continues on its current trajectory, eight times as many children will be exposed to heatwaves in 2050 as in 2000, according to Unicef projections. More than three times as many would be exposed to extreme floods and 1.7 times more to wildfires.

[8] Beyond the immediate impacts, Unicef voiced fears that some children – girls in particular – would drop out of school altogether. Already, some two-thirds of children around the world cannot read with comprehension by age 10, it said, adding: “Climate hazards are exacerbating this reality.”

[9] Education is one of the services most frequently disrupted by climate hazards, Russell said. “Yet it is often overlooked in policy discussions,” she warned. “Children’s futures must be at the forefront of all climate-related plans and actions.” Unicef called for investment in classrooms that are more resistant to climate hazards.

Source: Agence France-Presse, January 24

1. Paragraph 1 highlights how …
A. extreme weather is a major threat to children’s education on a global scale.
B. school disruptions are a minor consequence of the climate crisis.
C. climate change affects the psychology of children under seven.
D. none of the above

2. In what ways are children more susceptible to hot weather compared to adults, according to paragraph 2?

3. What is the primary cause of the phenomenon mentioned in paragraph 3?
A. intense global warming
B. migrating populations
C. changing weather patterns
D. human activity

4. Based on your understanding of paragraph 4, why did the writer include the number of children impacted?

5. What natural disaster was mentioned in paragraph 5, and how did it affect schoolchildren?

6. Paragraph 6 discusses the … of climate change.
A. economic cost
B. human impact
C. historical trends
D. environmental effects

7. Find a word in paragraph 7 that means “projected path”.

8. What does the “reality” in paragraph 8 refer to?

9. The article concludes with a/an …
A. summary of key findings.
B. critique of governments.
C. prediction of climate trends.
D. urgent call to action.

1. A
2. They heat up faster, they sweat less efficiently, and cool down more slowly than adults.
3. D
4. The writer did so to emphasise the massive scale and severity of the problem of educational disruption caused by heatwaves (accept all reasonable answers).
5. Typhoon Yagi resulted in the suspension of classes in 18 countries.
6. B
7. trajectory
8. children around the world globally lacking reading comprehension skills by age 10 (accept all similar answers)
9. D