A lot of kids have the luxury of being driven in a warm car or bus to a good school nearby. This is not the case for the children in this gallery.
The following photos are snapshots of the treacherous trips kids around the world take each day to get an education. Considering there are currently 61 million children worldwide who are not receiving an education—the majority of which are girls—these walks are seen as being well worth the risk.
The most remote school in the world – Gulu, China
5-hour journey into the mountains on a narrow path to probably the most remote school in the world, Gulu, China. Image credits – Sipa Press
School in Zhang Jiawan village, Southern China
Anxious parents of ‘Zhang Jiawan’ village have no other choice rather to let brave school-children clamber down these dangerous ladders if they want to get an education .. as the school situated in valley below. Image credits – Imaginachina/Rex Features
Kids traveling to a boarding school through the Himalayas
Kids traveling to a boarding school through the Himalayas, Zanskar, Indian Himalayas. Image credits – Christoph Otto
125-Mile journey to a boarding school in China
125-Mile journey to a boarding school through the mountains, Pili, China.
Pupils crossing a damaged suspension bridge in Lebak, Indonesia
Pupils crossing a damaged suspension bridge, Lebak, Indonesia. Image credits – Christoph Otto
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.
Pupils canoeing to a school in Riau, Indonesia
Pupils canoeing to school, Riau, Indonesia. Image credits – Nico Fredia
Riding auto rickshaw to a school in Beldanga, India
Riding a tuktuk (auto rickshaw) to a school in Beldanga, India. Image credits – Dilwar Mandal
School in Pangururan, Indonesia
Children traveling on the roof of a wooden boat in Pangururan, Indonesia. Image credits – Muhammad Buchari
Schoolchildren riding a horse cart back from a school in Delhi
Schoolchildren riding a horse cart back from a school in Delhi, India.
Students crossing Ciherang River on a makeshift bamboo raft
Students crossing Ciherang River on a makeshift bamboo raft, Cilangkap Village, Indonesia.
Pupils walking on Tightrope
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 in Rizal province
Elementary school students crossing a river on inflated tire tubes, Rizal Province, Philippines. Image credits – Bullit Marquez/AP
Staying above water to get to a classroom at an elementary school in the Philippines
Students wearing rubber boots use chairs as a makeshift bridge to get to a classroom at their elementary school in the Taytay, Rizal province, north of Manila in the Philippines. Teachers claim that the school grounds, built on a former garbage dump site, have no drainage and are constantly inundated with water. Image credits – Romea Ranoco/Reuters
Kids flying 800m on a steel cable 400m above the Rio Negro River
Kids flying 800m on a steel cable 400m above the Rio Negro River, Colombia. Image credits – Christoph Otto
Kashmiri children cross a damaged footbridge built over a stream in India
Kashmiri children cross a damaged footbridge built over a stream in India. The kids are on their way back home from their school in Srinagar. Image credits – Danish Ismai/Reuters
According to UNESCO, progress in connecting children to schools has slowed down over the past five years. Areas that lack suitable school routes can often flood, making it even harder for kids to commute. Dangerous paths are one of the main reasons why many children decide to quit school.