10 kilometers walk to school /南投部落孩童 上學走10公里危險路　　　　　　　　　　

How far do you have to walk or ride to go to school? In Nantou's Renai Township, Indigenous students have to travel 10 kilometers on foot to go to school, as a branch school nearby has been closed down. The children are happy when they get to school, because they have their classmates and facilities. But children don't know that the road to school is dangerous, with steep hills, falling rocks, pot holes and cracks. The indigenous village of Qalang Kobah is located at an altitude of 1,700 meters among the mountains in Renai Township. These children have to go 500 meters down the mountain to Hongye Elementary School. Parents spend two hours each day on two round trips to get their kids to and from school. ==HSU JYH-YI, Qalang Kobah parent == We must leave by 6:30 am and arrive at school around 7 or 7:10 am. (So can you get a full-time job?) No. The trip to school is dangerous, when the weather is bad, teachers at the school worry about the students who live in the mountains. ==TSENG YEE-YING, Principal, Hongye Elementary School== When it's rainy season, parents don't take children to school. This is what we worry about. Last month there was a rockfall and five students had to stay overnight at school. Mr. Kao passed away early this year. Mrs. Kao was not able to take her child to school, therefore had to leave her home. The same story happens every day in this village. Qalang Kobah used to have more than 100 households, now there are less than 30. Only elders and laborers stay. The retired director of the Hongye Elementary School worked here for 20 years. He regrets the decreasing number of students, and so does the tribe. ==LIN SHIN-SHI, Retired director, Hongye Elementary School== Some people bring their kids back, but there is no school. When I see this building, I am saddened. It is ten kilometers to get to school and every step is dangerous. Nantou County Government subsides each household with NT$5,000 for travel expenses, but cannot prevent danger on the way to school. Parents hope the county government can reinstate the Meilin branch of the school, so the empty building can once again become a place of study. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 天真的孩子，到了學校很開心，這裡有很多小朋友和好玩的遊樂設施。但他們不知道，每天的上學路，都充滿著危險，陡坡、落石、還有地質破碎。 慈峰部落，位於海拔1700公尺的仁愛鄉群山之間，孩子每天上學，都得下山到海拔1200公尺左右的紅葉國小去上課，平常家長接送上下學，一天四趟就得花兩小時。 ==慈峰部落家長 徐志義== (早上)六點半(出門) 然後至於學校的部份的話 我是七點到七點十分到(學校)那邊 (所以這樣有辦法做一個完整的工作嗎) 就沒有辦法 這趟上學路真的很危險，一旦天候不佳，紅葉國小的師長們，也特別擔心這些住在山上的孩子。 ==南投紅葉國小校長 曾以瑩== 一到雨季的時候 他們會因為天候的狀況 就不讓孩子 就不載孩子來 這是我們很擔心的 上個月進部落的峭壁 剛好土石滑落 那就有五個孩子是留在學校(過夜) 搬空的高家，男主人今年初過世後，媽媽無法帶著小孩去上學，只好搬離家鄉與熟悉的土地，同樣的故事不斷上演。這個曾經有上百戶的慈峰部落，現在不到30戶，村裡只剩下老人和勞動人口，紅葉國小梅林分班的退休主任，在這裡服務20年，感慨分班廢了，部落也跟著凋零。 ==紅葉國小退休教務主任 林新喜== (有人)帶著子女回來(慈峰部落) 但是回來也沒有地方可以讀書 看到這個(梅林分班)建築物 也心裡非常唏噓啦 10公里的上學路，即使是家長帶著孩子，走的也是步步驚心，南投縣政府補助五千元的交通費，也解決不了危機四伏的安全威脅。家長盼望恢復分班，讓紅葉國小梅林分班閒置的建築物，能成為孩子上學去的快樂園地。 記者 黃千容 賴世杰 南投報導