How We Go To School

The children of Kampung Ulu Tual never take things for granted. In this Marie Claire exclusive, Xin Yi Yeoh tracks the children of Kampung Ulu Tual as they wake up and prepare themselves for what is a veritable challenge every morning, something we urbanites have dismissed as a normal, even mundane ritual—going to school.

- Xin Yi Yeoh

It’s 4.30 in the morning. The crude sound of a running engine disturbs the calm silence. Blinding headlights breaks the darkness of the night. Past the bright lights, five children stand atop the back of the open pick up truck, carrying their school bags and grinning excitedly.

Today is the first day of school this semester, and the children of Kampung Ulu Tual have been looking forward to going to school since the holidays even began.

The pick up truck goes to to the next house, sounds the horn, and waits. Ten minutes later, another three children appear, one running up front, another following closely and the third child trudging along while rubbing his eyes, still half asleep, yet eager. The literally climb up the back of the truck and make space for each other. The journey continues, for the next eight to ten houses or so, until the truck is filled to the brim. For every child that does not make wake up in time, another kid gets to take that spot in the truck.

Now it’s 6 am with at least 20 children in the truck, front seat and at the back. They stand, they squat, the lean against the rail and sit on the ledge of the carrier, swaying along with the swerves and bumps on poor conditioned roads. There are no proper seats, let alone seat-belts. There isn’t a door, let alone windows to protect the children from rain or shine.

This is a stark contrast to their peers living in better conditions where safety is the utmost concern, and paradoxically comfort is taken for granted, as they go to school in comfortable seats, shielded from glaring sunrays and protected from pouring rain, more often than not also enjoying the cool comfort of air conditioning while travelling to or from school during the day.