What is the difference between attacks on schools and attacks on education?

GCPEA’s definition of attacks on education is made up of multiple subcategories, including attacks on schools and the military use of schools. “GCPEA defines attacks on education as any threatened or actual use of force against students, teachers, academics, education personnel, education buildings, resources, or facilities. In addition, armed forces and non state armed groups use schools and universities for military purposes. These violations occur for strategic, political, ideological, sectarian, ethnic, or religious reasons.” (GCPEA Toolkit, 2023)

Why isn’t more current data available for the global number of attacks on education and global maps?

GCPEA formally shares data every two years with the global community. As part of this process, GCPEA takes multiple steps to verify evidence identified online, and conducts trend analysis across many geographic regions and definitional sub-categories - all time consuming tasks.

Why are more people harmed than there are attacks on education? For instance, there are more than 11,900 attacks on education but over 19,200 students and educators harmed.

Each attack can affect multiple victims. For example, a single bombing or armed assault on a school may kill or injure dozens of students and teachers. Abductions or threats may also involve groups rather than individuals. This is why the number of people harmed is often higher than the number of distinct attack incidents recorded. In contrast, a threat against a teacher may not result in the physical injury of anyone.

Can I download the entire dataset, or part of it?

No. Since much of the data is sensitive and relates to victims of conflict, it must remain anonymous and cannot be downloaded. GCPEA also compiles its dataset from multiple sources that have restrictions on redistribution.

Why are gang violence or lone-wolf shooters not included?

Not all violence in and around schools constitutes an “attack on education.” GCPEA’s dataset focuses only on incidents carried out in the context of armed conflict or political violence, ensuring that the data highlights patterns and consequences specific to war-affected and insecure contexts. Violence against students, educators, or education facilities perpetrated by criminal organizations, lone gunmen, or individuals without affiliation to an armed force or group—such as theft, vandalism, school-based fights, or personal attacks—are not recorded as attacks on education or military use. Instead, the dataset includes only incidents carried out by armed forces, law enforcement, state security entities, or non-state armed groups. This encompasses bombings of schools, targeted killings or abductions of teachers and students, sexual violence, and military use of educational facilities. By narrowing its scope in this way, GCPEA provides a clear picture of how conflict and insecurity directly undermine education, while avoiding conflation with isolated criminal or non-political acts of violence.

For the Colombia dashboard, are the numbers and percentages representative for the departments?

No. The data collection project aimed to gain a deeper understanding of schools that experienced attacks and to learn more from teachers about their experiences. The project was not designed to be a representative selection of schools from which information about all schools in the department (or country) could be extrapolated.

In the Colombia dashboard, how precise are the numbers of students affected?

These numbers are estimates. The interviewers asked teachers how many students attended their school, as well as how many had trouble learning or experienced other impacts after an attack. These numbers are not from administrative data.