Photos from Cambodia’s Tonle Sap lake show children traveling by boat to attend school in floating villages such as Kampong Prahok. The routes require navigating water between floating homes and classrooms, with students often steering or helping guide boats. Other students climb aboard from floating areas and try to protect backpacks from getting wet as they commute.
Outlets also connect the school commute to broader pressures facing families. ABC News reports that rising fuel prices, attributed to the Iran war, make transportation more expensive for students. It adds that some children leave school to work to help support their families as household finances tighten. ABC News further notes that some governments in hard-hit parts of Asia face difficulties funding education initiatives and related supports such as school meal programs that can help keep children in classrooms.
The Independent and ABC News both focus on the floating-school setting along the Tonle Sap, while ABC News provides additional context about fuel costs and education funding challenges. The photo gallery element, curated by AP photo editors, is referenced by ABC News and provides the visual basis for the reports.
