What we found

National governments that participated in the survey show a high level of familiarity with the Comprehensive School Safety Framework, with half (51%) endorsing the Framework. The recognition of the importance of school safety is further supported by the fact that over 70% of countries reported having a designated senior management focal point for school safety, providing a strong foundation for scaling up implementation and coordination.

However, significant gaps remain. Less than one-third of national governments (31%) were using the Framework to guide policies and planning. Government-led, national school safety coordinating bodies, a primary driver of action in the Framework, were similarly lacking. Less than two-thirds (61%) of governments said this was in place.

Why this matters

Endorsement of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework is a critical first step for securing high-level political will behind this agenda. Endorsement means governments commit to work towards implementing and institutionalising the three pillars and foundation of the Framework. 

But while endorsement is a crucial step, it does not necessarily translate into effective implementation. The gap between endorsement and implementation highlights the need for greater support and targeted efforts to ensure that commitments are translated into concrete actions. The high volume of designated focal points demonstrates that it is possible to fill this gap.

What we found

Governments are planning for educational continuity on an impressive scale. Nine in 10 (94%) report having policies or legal frameworks in place for educational continuity management, though only half (54%) were developing plans for educational continuity that cover many or most risks. At the school level, guidance is provided by 98% of governments to support educational continuity planning.

Why this matters

Keeping children learning in emergencies is essential for ensuring they can continue to develop the knowledge and skills they need to thrive. Disruption to learning can lead to exponential impacts on education, setting back years of progress and in the worst cases meaning children drop out of school altogether.  

In emergencies, schools are also more than just centres for learning; education can help children stay physically and psychologically safe. Schools can provide many of the basic services that children need to survive, such as nutritious food and vaccinations. Schools also keep children out of harm's way, as children who are out of school are more likely to be recruited into armed forces. Finally, the normality of school can give children the stability and support they urgently need in crises, providing hope for a better future.  

What we found

Natural hazards can have a profound impact on schools. For over 75% of governments that responded, high winds and earthquakes caused damage to infrastructure. One in three governments (34%) reported earthquakes as leading to deaths in school, making earthquakes the hazard most often linked to death in schools.

Governments are making efforts to understand these hazards, with over half (61%) reporting systematic assessment of the safety of their existing school buildings.

These assessments are the first step in understanding what must be done to ensure school buildings are safe for students and staff. Complementary to this, nearly all governments have regulations for designing and constructing schools to withstand natural hazards and over half (59%) state these regulations are robust and monitored.

Investment to support these assessments and regulations do not match the level of need, however. Just 13% of governments report having consistent and sufficient funding for routine maintenance of school buildings and sites and just under 12% report systematically funded upgrades of school buildings.

Why this matters

Natural hazards regularly destroy school buildings if they are not disaster-proof, causing physical and financial damage and – in the worst cases – leading to deaths of children, teachers, and school staff. With the high number of governments reporting damage from natural hazards, and the compounding impact climate change may have on these, it is essential that resilient infrastructure is scaled up to keep children safe and learning. Not doing so not only puts children’s safety at risk, but also their futures, with unfixed damage to infrastructure potentially limiting children’s access to learning in the long-term.

What we found

The climate crisis is likely to exacerbate many natural hazards, and indeed climate change arose as a clear concern through the survey with 88% of governments highlighting climate change impacts, or the exacerbation of other risks due to climate change, as affecting many, most, or all schools. Other climate-exacerbated hazards were also reported by most governments, including flooding (90%), extreme temperatures (73%), and wildfires (55%).

Reflecting this degree of impact, nearly four in five (79%) governments reported that education authorities have developed plans for climate change adaptation.

Despite this, almost half of governments (48%) rated their policies or legal frameworks for climate change adaptation in the education sector as weak or unenforced. Just one in five (21%) reported doing full risk assessments on climate change risk. Similarly, one in five (20%) had robust guidance on school safety planning for climate change adaptation and action. Worryingly, no governments indicated that they were engaging in systematic upgrades of school buildings for climate change.

Why this matters

The climate crisis is already leading to widespread impacts on children’s right to learn. In 2024 alone, 242 million children experienced disruption to schooling due to climate events. Impacts of climate change on education can include school closures due to storms, poorer academic outcomes due to extreme temperatures, or children leaving school due to economic repercussions, among others. But while disruption can have devastating consequences for children’s learning, education is also a powerful force for positive change. Investments in resilient schools and education systems can reduce climate risks for 275 million children. Disaster risk reduction education improves children’s and communities’ resilience in the face of crises, teaching them the lifesaving knowledge and skills they need when disaster strikes. Education also promotes peaceful societies and economic prosperity, giving children hope for a better life after crises hit.

What we found

Health hazards are among the most recognised by governments, with most (91%) reporting national strategies and school policies for health promotion. Similarly, many governments noted that they are educating students about this hazard: almost all governments include health and well-being in the primary (87%) and secondary (82%) curricula.

This widespread policy coverage reflects the level of impact, with nearly three in four governments (72%) reporting biological and

health hazards as affecting education. For over half (58%) of the participating governments, these hazards lead to school closures.

Despite this level of ambition and impact, resourcing hampers implementation. Just one in four governments (28%) reported sufficient funding for health, nutrition, and well-being. While many (62%) have systematically assessed and prioritised Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities for upgrades, few (14%) have completed them. This is in line with responses suggesting just 16% of governments have consistent and sufficient funding for routine maintenance of WASH facilities.

Why this matters

At its peak, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education for 1.6 billion learners across the globe, leading to as much as 2.8 years of lost learning. More localised disease outbreaks, such as cholera, similarly lead to school closures, particularly as schools are ripe for disease spread after environmental disasters. As the climate crisis deepens, the expected increase in these disasters will only worsen the spread of diseases and make the need for protocols for safe schools, educational continuity, and catch-up more acute.

Heat waves are worsened by the climate crisis, affecting children’s cognition, behaviour, sleep, and learning. This makes protocols for keeping children cool at school, as well as ensuring school staff and students understand and use these protocols, essential.

What we found

Bullying and violence continue to plague schools across the globe. Nine in 10 governments (90%) identify bullying and violence as a hazard affecting education, with over half (57%) stating that this led to school injuries. Sadly, nearly one in four (24%) reported that bullying and violence have resulted in deaths.

Policies to address bullying and violence fail to match the intensity of the challenge. Just half of participating governments (55%) reported that many or most schools proactively attempt to prevent bullying, gender-based violence, and attacks on the way to school.

More broadly, governments reported gaps in understanding the challenges associated with bullying and violence. Nearly half (45%) of governments do not disaggregate data on violence against students and staff by gender or disability. And while most students are taught and assessed on social and emotional learning (SEL) – a critical response to bullying and violence – just 21% of governments assessed teachers on SEL.

Why this matters

Bullying and violence is a major hazard for children. One in three students is bullied at school every month, leading to physical and psychological harm. Other forms of violence can further affect children’s ability to attend or learn at school. The impacts of bullying and violence can be particularly acute for already disadvantaged learners, exacerbating existing barriers to education for children from minority groups, girls, and children with disabilities.

SEL is one tool for reducing and responding to bullying and violence in schools. However, schools also need robust policies, training, and interventions to keep children safe from these hazards.

What we found

The findings suggest that many governments recognise the value of teachers in comprehensive school safety. Nearly all governments (97%) seek some input from teachers and school staff in developing risk and response management plans. Despite this, staff are not receiving the training required to develop the skills they need to confidently advance comprehensive school safety.

Just 16% of governments report that teacher training on disaster risk reduction is mandatory, with this number only rising slightly to 18% for climate change adaptation.

Why this matters

Teachers are at the heart of quality education. Children will only receive as good an education as their teacher has been supported to deliver. In order to fulfil this role, teachers need effective training, capacity development, and assessment before and during their time in the classroom. This includes ensuring teachers are able to deliver education post-disaster through adapted methodologies.

In times of crisis, teachers are not just educators – they provide life-saving information, emotional support, and often take on community leadership roles. To ensure teachers can also operate in these roles, they must be trained in the essential skills they need to keep themselves and their students safe. Moreover, teachers are people, often as affected by the crisis as the students they teach. Teachers’ well-being must be recognised and supported by governments in order to support their own needs and ensure they can respond effectively to the needs of their students.

What we found

Governments widely support the inclusion and protection of all children in education. Globally, almost all responding governments (97%) stated they had some level of protection for students based upon gender and disability. Many also recognise the importance of student participation in comprehensive school safety; for instance, more than three in four (79%) governments reported that children of all ages and abilities are included in annual school hazard drills.

There is still more work to be done, however, particularly in preparedness.

Only one in five (21%) governments provide robust guidance on child participation in school safety plan development. A similar limitation is seen in student participation in risk assessments, where just one in three (35%) governments had adopted widespread student participation.

Why this matters

Comprehensive school safety is, at its heart, about ensuring children are safe and learning at school. While many governments recognise this, a lack of child participation and inclusion in preparedness planning can limit the effectiveness of school safety policy.

Children are experts in their own lives and are able to identify threats that may not be clear to adults. Children can also point out barriers and issues with plans that may not be immediately clear or known outside of the student body.

When part of the assessment and planning process, children also become equipped with the knowledge they need to adapt and respond. This helps to build a child-centred culture of safety, starting with education but spreading to the whole community.