Passengers woke to the sound of commotion.<\/p>\n
One of the most extreme impacts of climate change on education is the\ndanger within schools, which can lead to the loss of lives of both\nchildren and teachers when disasters strike. Rajendra Dawadi, a high\nschool principal in the Trishuli Valley, Nepal, described to the\nAssociated Press (AP) the dilemma he faced during a flash flood: his\nchoice at that moment was between losing one day of learning or losing\nentire lives. He subsequently halted all teaching activities and ordered\napproximately 900 students and teachers to evacuate. Upon reaching\nhigher ground, he saw that his school had been swept away. He sat down,\nspeechless.<\/p>\n
Similar decisions are faced by many educators in Indonesia located in\ndisaster-prone areas, ranging from floods and earthquakes to fires.\nIndonesia is among the countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate\nchange. These impacts in Indonesia encompass the food and agriculture\nsectors, health and heat stress, floods and landslides, and marine\necosystems (World Bank, 2025).<\/p>\n
LOST LEARNING<\/p>\n
During 2024, school closures due to the impacts of climate change\naffected approximately 242 million children worldwide (Unicef, 2025). In\nIndonesia, based on data from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary\nEducation for November-December 2025, floods and landslides hitting\nAceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra affected 3,274 educational units\nand 276,249 students (Kemendikdasmen, 2026). Furthermore, the Ministry\nnoted that 54,743 educational units with over 6 million students across\n12 provinces in Kalimantan were potentially exposed to smoke from forest\nand land fires occurring throughout 2025 (Kemendikdasmen, 2026).<\/p>\n
School closures and the reduction of effective learning time are\noften viewed as mere interruptions. In reality, these interruptions will\nbecome increasingly frequent and prolonged. We need to maximise the\navailable learning time so that students in affected areas do not fall\nfurther behind.<\/p>\n
EDUCATION IN CRISIS<\/p>\n
According to Newsome et al.\u00a0(2023), global warming places education\nin a dilemma: schools have the potential to be drivers of climate crisis\nmanagement, but without adequate protection, they can instead become\nvictims of climate disasters. Therefore, according to Fischel et\nal.\u00a0(2023), school facilities have three roles: first, climate-resilient\nschools capable of withstanding extreme weather; second, eco-friendly\nschools implementing decarbonisation and resource efficiency; and third,\nschools as educational tools that connect the curriculum with their\nphysical space.<\/p>\n
Additionally, teaching and learning scenarios need to be reviewed to\nadjust to the existing educational reality, where effective learning\ntime and location can no longer be predicted. Conventional learning\npatterns that are entirely scheduled and tied to classrooms may need to\nchange. Learning scenarios that maximise both in-class and virtual\nlearning may need to become part of the normal learning framework.\nDrawing from the COVID-19 pandemic, the transition to online learning\nrequires time and specific skills. Schools should prepare adaptive\ndistance learning (PJJ) systems for when access to schools is\ndisrupted.<\/p>\n
However, distance learning is not a single solution to all problems.\nIts effectiveness depends on uneven prerequisites: internet access,\ndevices, digital literacy, and psychosocial support, which are often\nmost fragile in disaster-affected areas. Distance learning is merely one\nlayer in a solution ecosystem, not a replacement for physical school\npresence.<\/p>\n
CURRICULUM FOR SURVIVAL<\/p>\n
School curricula also need to integrate climate change themes\nalongside relevant skills that support the transition to sustainable\ndevelopment. Furthermore, educational orientation must be adjusted so\nthat communities are prepared to face the impacts of climate change\nwithin their localities. Almost all regions of Indonesia will experience\nthese impacts in different forms, from food crises in agrarian areas to\ndeclining fish catches in coastal regions.<\/p>\n
A survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2025)\nshows that 73% of respondents in Indonesia know very little about\nclimate change, while 93% support climate change teaching programmes.\nThe concept is indeed complex and needs to be made more understandable\nfor students at various developmental stages.<\/p>\n
This is where education plays a vital role as a bridge for students\nand communities to understand the specific impacts of climate change in\ntheir school\u2019s location. Teachers and principals need to be keen\ntranslators of how climate change affects their communities. Schools in\nagrarian areas can incorporate materials on food security, adaptive\nweather cycles, and water conservation through school garden or\nhydroponic projects. Schools in coastal areas can develop marine\nliteracy, coastal ecology, and blue economy concepts.<\/p>\n
Rising temperatures also necessitate adjustments in how students\nlearn. Schools, for instance, need to adjust standard operating\nprocedures (SOP) for outdoor activities and physical education hours if\nthe heat index exceeds safe limits. Additionally, Physical Education,\nSports, and Health (PJOK) lessons could add material on environmental\nhealth, first aid for dehydration and heat exhaustion, and understanding\nweather indicators. Most urgently, for all communities to possess\nresilience, they must have the ability to map disaster risks in their\nsurroundings and receive disaster mitigation education so they know how\nto save themselves.<\/p>\n
However, all these agendas demand the integration of policies that\nhave long been fragmented: education, disaster management, and climate\nbudgets currently operate in isolation. There is a need for mandates for\nclimate safety audits, climate-resilient building standards within\nphysical education funds (DAK), and disaster contingency funds at the\nschool level. Without this, recommendations\u2026<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/education-to-save-lives-1789339900", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }