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Quality education and school transport are prerequisites for children to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), but they are disproportionately inadequate in rural communities. This study explores 350 parents' perceptions of the willingness‐to‐study (WTS) and learning difficulties of schoolchildren in Ukerewe Island (Tanzania) based on the mode of transport. The study surveyed 17 rural islands to build structural equation models based on Health Belief Model. The results showed that schoolchildren in Ukerewe Island have learning difficulties caused by the quality of their mode of transport to and from school. The children's learning difficulties were positively associated with perceived severity, self‐efficacy, and vulnerability. The perceived benefits of canoe transport supported the WTS. However, WTS could not buffer learning difficulties. Interestingly, male and female caregivers differ regarding the perceived WTS and their children's learning difficulties. This study contributes mitigation measures relevant to education and transport planning toward realizing SDGs 3, 4, and 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]