To the delight (or dismay) of millions, the school season is beginning in many countries throughout the world. But it’s important not to forget that, in some parts of the world, school can be a hard-won luxury. Many children throughout the world have to take the most incredible and unimaginable routes in order to receive the education that some of us may take for granted. This list we collected will show you just how determined some children can be when it comes to getting an education.
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.
The solution might seem easy: 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

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Image credits: Sipa Press

Schoolchildren Climbing On Unsecured Wooden Ladders, Zhang Jiawan Village, Southern China

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Image credits: Imaginachina/Rex Features

Kids Traveling To A Boarding School Through The Himalayas, Zanskar, Indian Himalayas

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Image credits: Timothy Allen

Pupils Crossing A Damaged Suspension Bridge, Lebak, Indonesia

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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

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Image credits: Christoph Otto

Pupils Canoeing To School, Riau, Indonesia

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Image credits: Nico Fredia

Kids Traveling Through The Forest Across A Tree Root Bridge, India

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Source: The Atlantic

A Girl Riding A Bull To School, Myanmar

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Image credits: Andrey

Riding a Tuktuk (Auto Rickshaw) To School In Beldanga, India

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Image credits: Dilwar Mandal

Crossing a Broken Bridge In The Snow To Get To School In Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, China

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Children Traveling On The Roof Of A Wooden Boat In Pangururan, Indonesia

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Image credits: Muhammad Buchari

School Girls Walking Across A Plank On The Wall Of The 16th Century Galle Fort In Sri Lanka

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Image credits: Reuters/Vivek Prakash

Pupils Traveling By Boat in Kerala, India

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Image credits: Santosh Sugumar

Schoolchildren Riding A Horse Cart Back From School In Delhi, India

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Image credits: Reuters

Students Crossing Ciherang River On A Makeshift Bamboo Raft, Cilangkap Village, Indonesia

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125-Mile Journey To A Boarding School Through The Mountains, Pili, China

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Image credits: unknown

Pupils Walking On A Tightrope 30 Feet Above A River, Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia

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Elementary School Students Crossing A River On Inflated Tire Tubes, Rizal Province, Philippines

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Image credits: Dennis M. Sabangan / EPA
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Image credits: Bullit Marquez /AP