The research recorded attacks across 83 countries. The largest numbers of incidents were reported in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Palestine and Ukraine.
According to the report by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), Ukraine experienced roughly 900 attacks on educational institutions, while Palestine recorded at least 2,400 attacks affecting students and staff.
The study, released on Monday, also found that the number of cases involving military forces or armed groups occupying schools and universities rose sharply. A total of 1,912 such incidents were recorded, representing an increase of nearly 91% compared with the previous two-year period.
Lisa Chung Bender, director of the GCPEA, said the findings highlighted the growing danger facing education systems worldwide.
“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.”
Myanmar, Nigeria, Yemen and Cameroon recorded the highest numbers of people harmed in attacks on education. Across those countries, more than 1,700 students and staff were either killed or injured.
Nigeria reported the kidnapping of more than 700 students and staff, while Myanmar recorded at least 80 deaths among students and staff and approximately 240 injuries.
Protesters also called for the release of around 39 students and seven teachers who were kidnapped in Oyo State, Nigeria.
Prof Tejendra Pherali, professor of education, conflict and peace at University College London, said the continued increase in attacks was deeply troubling.
“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.”
The report also found that women and girls were specifically targeted because of their gender in at least 11 countries. One incident cited in Nigeria occurred on 17 November 2025, when armed attackers assaulted a girls’ boarding school, killing the vice-principal and abducting 25 female students.
Students with disabilities were also among those affected. The report noted that on 11 September 2025 in Lebanon, sources alleged that the Israeli military conducted a controlled explosion that destroyed a school serving children with special needs.
The study found that attacks on schools frequently involved the use of high explosives, including munitions delivered by drones. These attacks resulted in significant casualties, widespread damage to educational infrastructure and the closure of many institutions.
Kieran King of the charity War Child UK said attacks on education constituted a serious violation of international law, including 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 said the situation was being aggravated by states acting without fear of punishment and by reductions in humanitarian aid funding.
“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.
“The aid cuts that we’ve seen from the US, but also the UK and others, [have led to significant amounts] of the funding for support for humanitarian action removed from the sector.”
Despite the worsening trend, Chung Bender maintained that such attacks could be prevented.
“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.
The report was released as the number of conflicts involving states worldwide reached its highest level since the Second World War. Data from Uppsala University’s conflict data programme showed that 65 conflicts were recorded during 2025. Of those, 13 were classified as wars, meaning each caused at least 1,000 battle-related deaths within a calendar year. The total represented the highest number of wars and conflicts recorded since 1992.
Fatalities among both civilians and combatants also rose substantially during the year. More than 244,000 people were killed in organised violence in 2025, making it the second deadliest year since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
