The school year start may be a delight (or dismay) to millions of kids around the globe. However, it’s important not to forget that, in some parts of the world, even an elementary school education can be a hard-won luxury. Some of the children have to take the most dangerous roads in the world to receive the education that some of us may take for granted. If school way might seem boring to kids in wealthier countries, these little ones are surely glad to have a chance at a better future. This list we collected will show you just how determined some children can be when it comes to getting an education; especially with the dangerous journeys and long ways home after school they have to endure.
According to UNESCO, progress in connecting children to schools in third world countries has slowed down over the past couple of years. Areas that lack suitable school routes can often flood, making it even harder for kids to commute. Dangerous paths and the obstacles on the way to school are one of the main reasons why many children decide to quit education.
The solution might seem straightforward: build roads and bridges, buy buses and hire a driver. However, the lack of funds and recurring natural disasters in many countries make it difficult to provide children with the solutions they so desperately need.
(h/t: amusingplanet)
5-Hour Journey Into The Mountains On A 1ft Wide Path To Probably The Most Remote School In The World, Gulu, China
Image credits: Sipa Press
Schoolchildren Climbing On Unsecured Wooden Ladders, Zhang Jiawan Village, Southern China
Image credits: Imaginachina/Rex Features
Kids Traveling To A Boarding School Through The Himalayas, Zanskar, Indian Himalayas
Image credits: Timothy Allen
Pupils Crossing A Damaged Suspension Bridge, Lebak, Indonesia
After the story spread, Indonesia’s largest steel producer, PT Krakatau Steel, built a new bridge, so that the children could cross the river safely. (Image credits: Reuters)
Kids Flying 800m On A Steel Cable 400m Above The Rio Negro River, Colombia
Image credits: Christoph Otto
Pupils Canoeing To School, Riau, Indonesia
Image credits: Nico Fredia
Kids Traveling Through The Forest Across A Tree Root Bridge, India
Source: The Atlantic
A Girl Riding A Bull To School, Myanmar
Image credits: Andrey
Riding a Tuktuk (Auto Rickshaw) To School In Beldanga, India
Image credits: Dilwar Mandal
Crossing a Broken Bridge In The Snow To Get To School In Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, China
Image credits: Imaginechina / Rex Features
Children Traveling On The Roof Of A Wooden Boat In Pangururan, Indonesia
Image credits: Muhammad Buchari
School Girls Walking Across A Plank On The Wall Of The 16th Century Galle Fort In Sri Lanka
Image credits: Reuters/Vivek Prakash
Pupils Traveling By Boat in Kerala, India
Image credits: Santosh Sugumar
Schoolchildren Riding A Horse Cart Back From School In Delhi, India
Image credits: Reuters
Students Crossing Ciherang River On A Makeshift Bamboo Raft, Cilangkap Village, Indonesia
Image credits: Reuters/Beawiharta Beawiharta
125-Mile Journey To A Boarding School Through The Mountains, Pili, China
Image credits: unknown
Pupils Walking On A Tightrope 30 Feet Above A River, Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
Image credits: Panjalu Images / Barcroft Media
Elementary School Students Crossing A River On Inflated Tire Tubes, Rizal Province, Philippines
Image credits: Dennis M. Sabangan / EPA
Image credits: Bullit Marquez /AP