In Colombia, the number of children whose education is disrupted by the ongoing armed conflict is rising. These attacks, targeting schools, teachers and students, severely impact the lives of thousands.
Five things you should know about the attacks on education in Colombia
Attacks on education in Colombia affected nearly 50,000 students, teachers and school staff between January 2022 and January 2025, according to data collected by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). NRC's figures cover 17 of Colombia's 32 departments (administrative regions), suggesting the true number of people affected could be significantly higher.
Schools in rural Colombia, meant to be sanctuaries, have instead become sites of violence and terror. Crossfire, landmines, forced recruitment within school walls, and the use of educational facilities by armed actors are stealing futures and postponing dreams for thousands of children.
Here are five things you should know about attacks on education in Colombia:
1. Schools are used or occupied by armed actors
In Colombia, schools caught in the crossfire often become shields and trenches. Armed groups surround schools, enter with weapons, and even use them as bases or combat posts. This endangers students, teachers and staff, damaging infrastructure and disrupting education.
Attacks on education in Colombia affected nearly 50,000 students, teachers and school staff between January 2022 and January 2025, according to data collected by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). NRC's figures cover 17 of Colombia's 32 departments (administrative regions), suggesting the true number of people affected could be significantly higher.
Schools in rural Colombia, meant to be sanctuaries, have instead become sites of violence and terror. Crossfire, landmines, forced recruitment within school walls, and the use of educational facilities by armed actors are stealing futures and postponing dreams for thousands of children.
Here are five things you should know about attacks on education in Colombia:
1. Schools are used or occupied by armed actors
In Colombia, schools caught in the crossfire often become shields and trenches. Armed groups surround schools, enter with weapons, and even use them as bases or combat posts. This endangers students, teachers and staff, damaging infrastructure and disrupting education.
"Armed groups force open the door of the school and come in to sleep. They live permanently in the school and take it over," a teacher explained to NRC.
In rural areas, some schools, lacking signage or fencing, fly white flags in a desperate plea for respect as places of peace and education.
2. Going to school can be a life-threatening journey
While going to school is routine for many children worldwide, for children in Colombia it can be a perilous journey. In early 2025, two children were killed on their way to school for allegedly disobeying movement restrictions imposed by an armed group in southern Colombia.
Students face the risk of recruitment, the constant threat of crossfire, and the fear of explosive devices along their routes. Teachers and staff face these same dangers, plus the added burden of complying with armed groups' rules and threats.
"When I travel to and from school, I have to move around without a helmet and ride my motorbike at a speed of no more than 10 km/h. These are the rules of the armed groups," one teacher told NRC.
3. Children suffer most
In Colombia, classrooms in rural areas have become a battleground, with students bearing the devastating impact of attacks on education. NRC data from 2022 to 2025 reveals that students account for over 90 per cent of those affected.
Children are caught in the crossfire: injured, forced to flee their homes, diving under desks for cover, or horrifically, swapping textbooks for weapons as they are recruited into armed groups.
"The students in my school are the ones who are forced to 'feed' the ranks of armed groups the most," one teacher revealed, underscoring the scale of the recruitment crisis in some areas of Colombia. These attacks leave deep scars, not only endangering children’s lives but also profoundly affecting their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
4. Violence disrupts learning
Attacks on education steal precious learning time from children in Colombia, forcing them out of school for days, weeks, or even months. When going to school means risking their lives, students end up trapped at home. And for many, particularly those in rural and remote areas, online learning is not an option.
The lack of internet, electricity, computers and phones creates a barrier, shutting children off from education. This leads to gaps in their learning, struggles to catch up, and the all-too-frequent reality of dropping out.
5. Protecting education: a call to action
The consequences of attacks on education in Colombia are devastating.
According to NRC data from 2022 to 2025, 90 per cent of reported attacks on education require follow-up action, such as securing student and teacher safety, offering psychological first aid, mine risk education, and school infrastructure repair.
Beyond addressing these immediate issues, further steps are urgently needed:
- The Colombian government, a signatory to the 2022 Safe Schools Declaration, must strengthen its efforts to monitor, prevent and respond to attacks.
- Armed actors must immediately cease attacks on education and respect schools and access routes.
- International support is also crucial. Of the USD 16 million requested by humanitarian organisations for education needs in 2024, just USD 7 million were reported as received. In 2025, USD 22 million have been requested by humanitarian actors to address the worsening conflict and its impact on the education sector.
Protecting safe classrooms and the right to education is everyone's responsibility, and a crucial investment in Colombia's future.
Attacks on education in Colombia: key numbers
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) monitors attacks on education in its areas of operation in Colombia, focusing on incidents that violate the Safe Schools Declaration. Between January 2022 and January 2025, our data showed:
- 50,000+ students, teachers and education personnel affected
- 48,000+ students directly impacted
- 450+ reported attacks on education
NRC monitors attacks on schools, students, teachers and other school staff, the use of explosive devices (mines, munitions and explosive remnants of war), and the military use or occupation of schools.
Learn more: our 2024 recommendations for government authorities, the international community, and donors (Spanish).
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