New york: When the creek beside Taudibura Garos' school in Papua New Guinea floods, the water doesn't stop at the gate. It rises through the pit toilets, rendering the school unsafe and sending the 16-year-old and her classmates home without the chance to complete their studies.According to United Nations, Taudibura is one of an estimated 171 million students worldwide whose education was disrupted by climate hazards in 2025. This figure represents roughly one in ten students, from preschool to high school. The most common cause of these disruptions was storms, affecting 109 million students, followed by floods and heatwaves. These climate events led to suspended classes, damaged schools, a shift to remote learning, shortened instructional time, and increased risk of dropping out for millions of students.Taudibura and her peers face even more extreme weather conditions this year. The stronger-than-ever El Niño climate pattern is anticipated to heighten the risk of extreme weather in the coming months. "Us ually, the water comes up to our knees and floods the pit toilets, then it becomes unhealthy for us to stay at school, and we miss the lessons we are supposed to learn," she explained.While students across all income levels were affected, three-quarters of those impacted live in low and lower-middle-income countries. Education systems in these regions often lack the resources necessary to safeguard learning during climate-related emergencies. For instance, in Pakistan, severe monsoon floods in August delayed the return to school for over 28 million students, marking one of the largest climate-related education disruptions recorded in 2025. Similarly, in Egypt, a powerful Khamsin storm led to a nationwide suspension of classes for one day in April, affecting more than 28 million students.The report finds that girls are more vulnerable than boys when climate hazards disrupt or close schools. Damaged schools and sanitation facilities, coupled with displaced families and lost income, often lead to girls takin g on additional caregiving and water-collection responsibilities. These pressures can increase the risk of being forced into child marriage, making it difficult for girls to return to school once they reopen.For millions of children, climate hazards do more than disrupt lessons; they destroy schools, uproot families, and push the most vulnerable children, especially girls, out of the classroom permanently, emphasized UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. Unless decisive action is taken, students who experienced climate-related school disruptions in 2025 could cumulatively lose at least $200 billion in lifetime earnings. On a broader scale, learning losses and higher school dropout rates can decrease workforce productivity, slow economic growth, and make it harder for countries to reduce poverty.UNICEF is urging governments worldwide to invest more heavily in climate-resilient educational systems and infrastructure to protect education for children today and future generations, according to Ms. Russ ell.