Such flamboyant rank of school girls in ceremonial uniforms may have given a false impression to outsiders about the status of Myanmar's educational system. The reality is much grimmer. Only one in four of the general population completes primary school education. The situation is even worse in higher education, of which only a handful of universities exist in the country. Prestige, all English schools mostly run by Singaporeans have established in big cities like Yangon. However, the tuition are simply out of reach even from the middle class.

Candy and balloon vendors profit from the carnival scene in a middle-class neighbourhood in Pyin U Lwin. Bbicycles, motorcycles, horse carriages and even cars await children after school. Myanmar parents love no less their children than do others elsewhere in the world. In Lake Inle region, obviously, transporting children requires an aquatic approach (below).