25 of the Most Dangerous Journeys to School in the World

How do you get to school each day? Perhaps your parents drive you, you walk a few blocks on solid concrete, or you take the air conditioned bus with leather seats and 100% protection against the elements. These are the normal means of transportation to school that make your life so much easier but are often taken for granted.
School is important all over the world, including areas where paved roads and public transportation do not exist. Children living in rural or poverty-ridden areas face a much more treacherous trek to school each morning, but somehow these inspirational kids get up the courage and strength to make the trip day after day. What if it took you 5 hours to travel to school each way, would you be willing to make the trip? Children in Gula, China do it. And they are not the only students around the world willing to face a few risks in order to reap the rewards of an education.

Zhang Jiawan Village, Southern China

Children must climb up unsecured wooden ladders in order to reach school in this rural region of China.

Gula, China

Children must travel along a narrow path that measures only 1 foot wide for 5-hours in order to attend a remote school in Gula, China.

Zanskar, Indian Himalayas

Kids have to be good at hiking to make it to school tucked away in the Himalayas. But since it’s a boarding school at least they don’t have to make the exhausting trip often.

Lebak, Indonesia

Children walk, or rather climb, across a damaged suspension bridge to get to school.

Rio Negro River, Columbia

Children glide accross an 800m steel cable hitched 400m off the ground.

Sri Lanka

A group of schoolgirls use a thin plank as a bridge to cross The 16th century Galle Fort located in the heart of Sri Lanka.

Riau, Indonesia

Imagine taking a canoe to school, it’s real life for students in Riau.

India

Thanks to an act of nature, children have a pathway to school on roots of a giant tree

Beldanga, India

Children on a “Tuktuk” travel to school with backpacks in tow.

Pili, China

125-mile journey children make through the mountains on their way to boarding school.

Delhi, India

Children rely on a bus with a lot of horse power–in fact a cart full of kids being pulled by a horse.

Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia

Children are educated and trained for the circus. On their way to and from school they must scale across a tightrope suspended 30 feet above a river.

Myanmar

Forget about riding the bus, a little girl rides her bull to school!

Sichuan Province, China

Even in the frigid snowy weather a broken bridge must make do if this little girl, bundled up in pink, wants to make it to school.

Pangururan, Indonesia

A wooden boat is packed full up to the roof before heading off to school.

Cilangkap Village, Indonesia

In order to attend school across the Ciherang River, bamboo rafts were made into a makeshift bridge. Just make sure to wear your rain boots!

Rizal Province, Philippines

Children use inflated tire tubes to get to school across the river.