Last week brought new evidence of the extraordinary disruption climate change is causing to education, alongside continuing threats to students’ safety, equality and freedom of movement. This edition examines what these developments mean for learners, student organisations and everyone working to protect education as a public good.
Last week in brief
- Climate hazards disrupted the education of more than 171 million students across 106 countries and territories during 2025.
- More than 830,000 children returned to school in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, amid violence, displacement and movement restrictions.
- Austria began enforcing a ban on headscarves for pupils under 14 as schools reopened in several regions.
- Students in San Diego protested after US immigration officers arrested a Haitian student near their college campus.
- A UNESCO study found widespread adoption of artificial intelligence in Latin American and Caribbean universities, but limited institutional governance.
- The collapse of a building housing students in Delhi intensified demands for safer and more affordable student accommodation.
Key developments
Climate hazards disrupted education for 171 million students
More than one in ten of the world’s school students had their education disrupted by climate hazards during 2025, according to a UNICEF analysis released on 10 September. The study covered learners from pre-primary through upper-secondary education in 106 countries and territories.
Storms affected the schooling of approximately 109 million students, floods affected 70 million and heatwaves affected 50 million. Three-quarters of the learners disrupted were in low- and lower-middle-income countries. UNICEF estimates that the resulting learning losses could reduce affected students’ combined lifetime earnings by at least US$200 billion.
Our take: Climate disruption is already an education crisis, and not a distant environmental risk. Governments and donors must fund climate-resilient schools, continuity plans and safe alternative learning without diverting resources from ordinary education provision. Students, especially those in the most affected communities, must also have a meaningful role in assessing risks and designing responses. Read UNICEF’s global analysis.
West Bank: children return amid violence and access restrictions
More than 830,000 children began returning to school across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in September. UNICEF warned that violence, displacement and restrictions on movement continue to make reaching and remaining in education dangerous.
During the first half of 2026, UNICEF documented 224 education-related incidents affecting 152 schools, more than 20,000 students and 859 education personnel. More than 1,700 children have also been displaced since the beginning of the year because of settler violence, access restrictions and demolitions.
Our take: Every child has the right to reach school safely. Attacks, harassment, displacement and movement restrictions that prevent students from learning must end, and all parties must comply with international humanitarian and human-rights law. Read UNICEF’s update.
Austria: headscarf ban takes effect in schools
Austria began enforcing a prohibition on headscarves for pupils under 14 as schools reopened in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland on 7 September. The measure was approved by parliament in December with support from the governing parties and the far-right Freedom Party.
Schools must initially speak with affected pupils and their parents, but repeated breaches can result in fines ranging from €150 to €800. Austria’s Islamic Religious Community intends to challenge the law. The Constitutional Court struck down an earlier ban covering children under ten in 2020, finding that it discriminated against Muslim pupils and violated state neutrality.
Our take: Policies affecting religious expression must respect children’s rights to equality, education and freedom of belief. No pupil should face exclusion, stigma or financial penalties because of their religion or gender. The experiences of affected students must be heard in the legal review and in how schools respond while the measure remains in force. Read the Reuters report.
United States: students protest immigration arrest near campus
Students at San Diego City College rallied after immigration officers arrested Haitian student Renatho Kemsley Casseus near the campus on 8 September. Another student who was travelling with him fled to college grounds.
The Department of Homeland Security said Casseus would appear before an immigration judge following the ending of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. Protesters warned that enforcement activity near the college could frighten immigrant students away from classes. They also called for stronger institutional procedures and training after alleging that campus police interacted with immigration officers.
Our take: Immigration enforcement near educational institutions creates fear far beyond the individual directly affected. Colleges must provide accurate legal information, confidential support and clear safeguards so that immigration status does not become a barrier to attendance. Read the report from San Diego.
Latin America and the Caribbean: university AI use outpaces governance
A UNESCO study launched on 9 September found that 87% of 200 higher-education institutions surveyed across 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries were already using artificial intelligence in at least one area. AI was used in teaching and learning by 74% of institutions and in research by 57%.
Only 26% had adopted a formal institutional AI strategy, while half of surveyed students reported confusion about appropriate use. UNESCO also found that private institutions were generally moving faster than public universities, which frequently face infrastructure and funding constraints.
Our take: Universities cannot govern AI through misconduct rules alone. Students need clear guidance, access to AI literacy and protection against discriminatory or intrusive systems. UNESCO’s recommendation that students be represented in institutional AI-governance structures should become standard practice, and not an optional consultation after systems have already been introduced. Read the UNESCO IESALC findings.
This week: 14–20 September
- 14–17 September — UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI: Governments, researchers, civil society and technology actors will meet in Riyadh under the theme “Transforming Global Cooperation for Ethical AI Governance.” Discussions include AI’s effects on education, equality, sustainability and young people’s mental health. Follow the forum.
- 15 September — New US international-student immigration rules take effect: The final rule replaces admission for the duration of a programme with fixed periods for academic students and exchange visitors, generally limited to four years. Students requiring more time must seek an extension, while new restrictions affect transfers and changes of programme. Read the final rule.
- 18 September — Delhi University Students’ Union election: Students will elect representatives following a campaign in which housing safety and affordability became central after a building collapse killed seven people, including five students. Results are expected on 19 September. Read about the election and housing debate.
- 18 September — UN Sustainable Development Goals Moment: The UN General Assembly will review action towards the Sustainable Development Goals, including the commitment to inclusive and equitable quality education. Student and youth participation, and attention to the growing education-financing gap, will be important measures of its relevance. Global Student Forum will be represented at the event. See the UN programme.
What we are watching
- Whether climate-resilient education receives additional national and international funding.
- Safe access to schools and further displacement of learners in the West Bank.
- Legal challenges and student-led opposition to Austria’s headscarf ban.
- Implementation of the new US rules affecting international students.
- Whether universities establish AI-governance bodies with meaningful student representation.
Are important developments affecting students taking place in your country? Students, student organisations and education communities are invited to send them to the Global Student Forum for possible inclusion in a future edition of World Student News.
