A major organization tracking attacks on schools worldwide just released new data. In 2024, there were at least 8,566 recorded attacks on schools and universities—and military forces using schools as bases. That's more than 40% more than two years ago.

Three countries saw the most attacks: Palestine, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Each faces a different situation. In Gaza and the West Bank, intense fighting in crowded neighborhoods with many schools means more schools get hit. Ukraine faces constant bombing campaigns targeting regular buildings—schools are struck repeatedly. The DRC has fighting spread across multiple regions, particularly in provinces called Ituri, North Kivu, Mai-Ndombe, and Tanganyika.

These numbers come from the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), which requires proof before counting any attack. That means the real number is probably higher than 8,566—the data they publish is a minimum, not the full total.

Why does that matter? When counting methods are careful, a jump this large signals something genuinely worse is happening. Better networks for reporting and better tools for checking facts help catch more attacks, yes. But when numbers grow this fast in places that are already heavily monitored, it points to actual intensification of harm.

There's another problem beyond direct attacks. Armed groups and militaries sometimes occupy school buildings to use as bases. The moment a school is occupied, it loses protection under international law and often becomes a target for opposing forces—damage compounds. Over 120 countries agreed to the Safe Schools Declaration, pledging not to do this. But the countries where most school attacks happen—Gaza, Ukraine, and the DRC—either haven't signed that pledge or don't follow it.

Schools are permanent fixtures in every community—everyone knows where they are, they're usually the biggest buildings around. When they're destroyed, the damage goes far beyond broken walls. Kids fall behind in learning. Families flee conflict areas. Communities take decades to recover economically. These numbers matter for aid organizations and governments planning how much help and funding schools will need when conflicts end.