An estimated one million school-aged children remain out of school in Madagascar, and many schools have extremely low retention and completion rates, with only two in five children completing more than five years of schooling. The large number of communities without schools is a major reason why school enrolment is so low. Children living in remote areas have to walk as far as 10km to the nearest school, sometimes traversing rivers and other dangerous stretches on the way. Others have never set foot in school.
Most schools are not equipped with water or sanitation facilities, leading to further dropouts particularly among girls.
Climate change is exacerbating these problems in education. Due to its location in the middle of two different climatic zones, Madagascar is hit by three or four cyclones in an average year, which damage or destroy thousands of schools and threatens children’s safety. Climate change is making Madagascar more susceptible to cyclones by increasing their frequency and intensity in the region.
UNICEF is working in Madagascar to rehabilitate and replace schools affected by cyclones with cyclone-resistant structures, while installing child-friendly and gender-friendly sanitation facilities. By equipping these schools with a safe structure, gender-sensitive amenities and safety programmes and bringing schools close to home, more children, and especially girls, will be able to attend school and complete their primary education. Cyclone-proofing schools will ensure the building stays standing and education continues despite the growing impact of climate change.
Find out how you can help children adapt to climate change.
