Exactly, I'd say America is more exception than a rule in this regard. This article implies that 5-6 years old walking to school alone is something extraordinar

Exactly, I'd say America is more exception than a rule in this regard. This article implies that 5-6 years old walking to school alone is something extraordinary. It's common in my country too, actually, most of the first graders that are dropped off by parents are those who live outside of town and there's no good public transit route.