4 ms·

In Finland, kids walk to school by themselves from age 7. Depends on the distance of course.

stevekemp 9y ago
I've seen younger-still kids walking around in the mornings, even in the snow at the height of winter, presumably going to day-care. (Worth noting for others that children start "proper" school at 7 in Finland. Something that surprised me when I moved here.)
gambiting 9y ago
In Poland, when I was 7 years old, by the time I had to go to school my parents have already gone to work,so I had to make myself some food, lock the door behind me, and walk for 15 minutes to school. But we also had kids taking buses to school, and they were normal public buses, not a dedicated school bus(never heard of such concept in Poland to be honest).
- cube2222 9y ago
  To comment on this - also living in Poland. The concept exists in Poland, but only in a few private schools, mainly those marked as "American schools". I think the main reason is that public transit is magnitudes better and more widespread here, than in the US.
  - mamon 9y ago
    School buses are the real thing in Poland, my father has been driving one for the last 15 years :) It's just that they are more popular in rural areas (you know, grabbing kids from all those small villages and driving them to school in the nearby town). In big cities, like Warsaw there actually aren't any, as schools are usually within walking distance, and if they aren't then the normal public transport is supposed to fill in.
lultimouomo 9y ago
In nothern Finland, I've seen kids dropped off by the bus in the middle of the snow covered woods. Younger ones had someone picking them up, but kids around 10 just started walking with the sun already setting off to a house that was absolutely nowhere in sight. They do have sisu!
- ptaipale 9y ago
  Come on, it was just normal. Besides wolves - which were hunted down until recent years - what danger would there be? If you have proper clothing, there's nothing to fear in snow covered woods. (I'd guess kids use a kick-sled, though, instead of just walking.)

I've seen younger-still kids walking around in the mornings, even in the snow at the height of winter, presumably going to day-care. (Worth noting for others that children start "proper" school at 7 in Finland. Something that surprised me when I moved here.)

gambiting 9y ago

In Poland, when I was 7 years old, by the time I had to go to school my parents have already gone to work,so I had to make myself some food, lock the door behind me, and walk for 15 minutes to school. But we also had kids taking buses to school, and they were normal public buses, not a dedicated school bus(never heard of such concept in Poland to be honest).

cube2222 9y ago
To comment on this - also living in Poland. The concept exists in Poland, but only in a few private schools, mainly those marked as "American schools". I think the main reason is that public transit is magnitudes better and more widespread here, than in the US.
- mamon 9y ago
  School buses are the real thing in Poland, my father has been driving one for the last 15 years :) It's just that they are more popular in rural areas (you know, grabbing kids from all those small villages and driving them to school in the nearby town). In big cities, like Warsaw there actually aren't any, as schools are usually within walking distance, and if they aren't then the normal public transport is supposed to fill in.

lultimouomo 9y ago

In nothern Finland, I've seen kids dropped off by the bus in the middle of the snow covered woods. Younger ones had someone picking them up, but kids around 10 just started walking with the sun already setting off to a house that was absolutely nowhere in sight. They do have sisu!

ptaipale 9y ago
Come on, it was just normal. Besides wolves - which were hunted down until recent years - what danger would there be? If you have proper clothing, there's nothing to fear in snow covered woods. (I'd guess kids use a kick-sled, though, instead of just walking.)