Aibu to ask when and why it became the norm for schools not to allow juniors to make their own way home?

[RedHelenB]

Seems they need parents to collect them from the class teacher up until y5 or 6 now, whereas a few years ago my dc orimary school.Just let them out at hometime and stonewalled home, somewhere collected by older siblings and some by oarents. Just one staff member by the junior entrance.

I need a nap. I read the title as when it became normal for junior doctors to walk home.

Several years ago I had to have ructions with the dc's primary school for them to let ds2 (Y4) leave alone.

Their rule was Y5 and Y6 only can leave. I changed work hours and my dad had agreed to pick the dc up for me two days a week - except he was disabled and unable to walk the distance from the car to the junior pick up point which was right at the back of the school. I had literally no other option at that time.

I asked permission for Dc2 to leave with dc1 (Y6) and walk to the gates of the school and 30 seconds down the road to my dad's car (no crossing). Declined. I had a meeting with the head where I explained and asked to sign with my permission. Declined. I was told they would under no circumstances release Dc2 without an adult at the class door.

It got to the point where I said fine. My dad is outside waiting for him on Mondays and Tuesdays. Either release him or get a teacher to take him out but no one is coming to the door (I prepped ds2 for what would happen and he was fine and expecting it).

Day 1 and I was in work - cue call advising no one was there to collect. Reiterated my dad was parked on the road outside. Told he'd have to come in. Said he couldn't. Receptionist said they'd have to report to SS. I said fine and hung up. My dad called me 5 minutes later to say a teacher took him out.
Day 2 same but escalated, Head came on the phone and tried to give me a dressing down - I hung up on her in the end. Ds taken to car by the head who attempted to tell my dad off - he refused to engage and said she'd need to speak to me.
Day 3 ds was released and continued to be and I never heared another thing about it.

Our school its year 5 and 6 to walk home alone. That's early enough imo. They are old enough to deal with unexpected scenarios like parents not being home if running late etc

@TabithaTittlemouse

I need a nap. I read the title as when it became normal for junior doctors to walk home.

tbf they do look awfully young sometimes.

I’m in my mid 20s. It was totally normal to walk home age 7 (year 3). I was taught some road sense and stranger danger from a very young age. I grew up in a village so that’s obviously different to a city.

At our school, the kids can walk home from y6. It was the same when I was at primary in the late 1980s!

I remember walking home from school with my sister by the time I was in juniors at primary school. I had only one main road to cross and it had a lollipop man. I think if I had been on my own my mum would have wanted me to be a little bit older to walk home on my own - maybe year 5 or 6.

DD started primary school in 2005 and the school wouldn't let children go home on their own until year 6. One of the roads the children had to cross was a very busy main road through the village, and in spite of requesting crossing measures/lollipop person it never happened. I did say to DD that I would see her across the road and she could walk the rest on her own once she was in year 6, but she wanted me to take her to school every day, and collect her.

The first day of Y6 school told them all they should be walking to and from school by themselves now to prepare for senior school. It annoyed me in the fact we moved house during DSs time there and now live a 45 minute walk away so it wouldn't be feasible.

Someone in his year has been leaving alone, walking home and letting himself in his house since Y2. No one can understand how the school allowed it but I guess the parents insisted

When my DDs were at school (2000s) it was up to parents what they did. Class teachers just let them out of the classroom door. Infant school released them to parent or nominated carer. I think DC need resilience and walking home when a junior is good prep for secondary and avoids congestion with cars. Of course they should walk home with friends.

I starred school in 1970. I remember walking home from school with all the other kids from a very early age. I'm sure at the age of 8 I was responsible for walking home my 5 year old sibling. And from quite a young age we would have to look after ourselves for an hour & half while dad finished his day time sleep ready for his nightshift and mum finished her day at work. Between us we had to do the dusting & peel & chop the spuds ready for tea. Then my dad would get up & for work. My old school friend who lived 2 doors away can remember going to and from school at 6 years old too. There wasn't the traffic then & Road safety was drummed into us. We used to be out on our bikes all day without parental supervision and I remember at 12 years old I just decided while I was out playing to cycle to my grans house 12 miles away in a city. No one knew until I arrived at my grans, but I think they were very shocked at that one! Neither I or my parents would have been happy if my 12 year old to have cycled that far away on their own. Different times when I was a child, but we were a lot more independent at a younger age

The norm near me is year 6 walk home in preparation for making their own way to and from high school.

It was a few years ago (about 8 years ago) but the school put me in a position where my Y5 HAD to walk back home on his own and stay at home on his own for about 1.5 hours.n

They wondered why I wasn’t happy that, at least, I hadn’t been told earlier in so he could have a few goes in his own first [

primary in the seventies. walked home from 1st year Junior school. Was the norm. 1 road to cross with a lollipop woman. I remember other children being teased for being collected. it was considered babyish.

Usually year 5 & 6 here, but sometimes year 4. You have to sign a form.

I made sure mine walked home alone/with friends after Xmas in year 6, to prepare them for high school.

@tttigress

I live in Switzerland (in the centre of a city) it is normal to see 5 and 6 year olds walking to school.

It is considered bad for the child to not give them independence.

Totally different culture I would imagine.

Yes our school wouldn't let junior school kids out - on occasion they would let my senior school (Y7) collect my y5. Which is funny how two summer months meant my son went from not being able to walk himself home to being able to not only do that but be in charge of his younger sister.

Sorry oldest is now 18 so this was always the policy for junior kids when he was in junior school.

Depends on the location doesn’t it? I have no idea what the rules are at our school as our daughter was picked up, but I know that some of the schools in town near busy roads had a rule that kids needed to be picked up.

What we did 30 years ago is irrelevant really as I could count loads of things we did as kids that we wouldn’t do with them now, for good reason.

Our Y4 walks home alone most days. There's a crossing guard and it's only 5 minutes, we did have to sign a form. She has a watch, so on days when it's nice we let her play in the park with her friends. She's definitely in the minority of walking by herself, but the sense of independence for her is great.

What we did 30 years ago is irrelevant really as I could count loads of things we did as kids that we wouldn’t do with them now, for good reason.

Exactly. I was at primary school in the 1960s. There was considerably less traffic back then than there is now.

1970s, most kids walked home alone from year 2 onwards where I was.

I went to primary school in the 70's. We had separate schools for Infants (YR Y1 Y2) and Juniors (Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6). I definitely walked home from Infants because I can remember having to run for my life if the little Jack Russel dog that lived a few doors down from school was out. I swear he used to lie in wait for me. He may have been tiny but it scarred me for life and I still don't like dogs.

Primary school was a longer walk home and over a main road so my Grandma who lived close to school would wait with the Lollipop lady to see me across the road and send me safely on my way home.

My own children walked home from school from YR6 as did all of Y6.

There is much more traffic nowadays. Many people didn’t have a car, nowadays many families have 2 cars. But even though there were fewer cars more people were killed/injured by cars. I was at Junior School in the 70s, during that time 3 pupils in my year group were knocked down by cars, 2 sustained broken bones but recovered, one died.

Given that the roads are statistically safer now, why are we stopping children from learning independence alongside road safety?

The statistics surrounding per billion vehicular miles per year compared to reported injuries and fatalities are interesting, but that's for another thread.

My yr 5 walks home alone when she doesn't have after-school clubs.

When they go back after Easter she can, and will, walk home alone after the club's at 4.15.

We live, approximately a mile away, 20 minute walk.

It's a 50/50 split on the kids that walk and the kids that don't.

Since allowing her to do it, she's matured and is now far more independent.