to feel patronised?

[stayforthekids1]

My elder two dc are 6 and 5. Their school is 5 minutes walk from my house. Last week I decided to let them walk themselves to school as a pair. They have very strong road sense, its something thats been instilled in them since they were around 2.5 years old. They regularly cross it to go to their friends house.

Anyways, a few days into them walking by themselves, i got pulled aside and told off by the teacher. Apparently its a school policy that they dont walk themselves until primary 3. Reason...safety. I said I understood it was school policy and so would now walk them again, but that I did feel a little annoyed/patronised that I would let my children do something I didnt think they were responsible/capable of. Also, I have another two DC aged 3 and 18 months. It was a lot less stressful trying to get us all out the door (and yes I have routine, just sometimes it doesnt always work with 4 dc!)

Was IBU to let them walk alone at that age? AIBU to feel a bit patronised?

Standard policy round here for all infant school (up to end of Y2) to be taken and collected from school. If I see any our infant children arriving on their own, or without an adult, I have to report it to the school office or head and the matter is taken up with the parents. At the end of the day all children have to be handed over to a responsible adult (not a child) before they can leave the school.

I thought it was considered that until a child is 7 they don't have any proper road sense (as to judging speed etc).
And however much children get along they can still have a falling-out from time to time.

I think you were being unfair to send them on their own.