Investigating The Impact of Climate Change on Education in Primary Schools: A Case of Nyim-ba District
Authors-Justin Siwerd Banda, Dr. John Phiri
Keyword-Climate Change, Primary Education, Educational Sustainability, Rural Education, School Attendance, Learning Outcomes, Climate Resilience
Climate change is increasingly recognized as a significant threat to sustainable develop-ment, with profound implications for the education sector, particularly in rural and under-resourced regions. This research investigates the impact of climate change on primary education in Nyimba District, Eastern Province, Zambia. The study is premised on the understanding that changing weather patterns, including prolonged droughts, flash floods, and extreme heat, have direct and indirect consequences on school attendance, infrastruc-ture, learning outcomes, and teacher performance. Rural communities such as Nyimba, which heavily depend on rain-fed agriculture, are especially vulnerable as climate variabil-ity undermines household livelihoods, increases food insecurity, and reduces children's ability to attend and perform well in school (UNESCO, 2020; Chikodzi, 2016). Moreover, damage to school buildings, inaccessible roads, and water scarcity caused by erratic rain-fall patterns present structural barriers to the delivery of quality education (UNICEF, 2021). These challenges are further compounded by the lack of climate-resilient infrastructure and limited policy implementation at the local level (Mutale & Ntalasha, 2019). Using a mixed-methods approach, this study combines qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions with teachers, pupils, and community members, alongside quantitative analysis of attendance records and climate data. The study adopts the vulnerability and resilience framework, which provides insights into how educational systems adapt—or fail to adapt—to environmental stressors. Preliminary findings reveal that food insecurity due to droughts has led to increased pupil absenteeism, while flooding during the rainy season disrupts learning by destroying classrooms and washing away access roads. Additionally, teachers report difficulties in curriculum delivery due to shortened school terms and psy-chological stress among learners (Mphalo, 2022; Banda & Phiri, 2021).
Doi-[http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20515332]