At what age can my child leave school and walk home by himself

worded

Is there a min age ?

There will be a child minder at home, but to make it home solo what’s the min age.

Thanks

Toots

The school my son is at won't let them walk home unaccompanied below 3rd class - a parent or guardian has to be there to collect them at home time. Anything older than that and they can walk home but the school recommends they go in groups.

byhookorbycrook

There's no law/rule. It's up to you, if you think your child is going to be responsible and safe, then it's your call. Personally. agree with 3rd class up, if the child is mature, but I'd also agree about walking in groups.

CeilingFly

There was a very interesting discussion on newstalk about a year ago on that exact question.

The gist was that too many people were not allowing children to be independent.

The guest said her own boy who was 10 went to school and back on his own in New York and via the subway system. (she was in some professional that dealt with children)

Due to the sensationalist format of the media and social media, people think the risk is a lot higher than it actually is and the statistics show that it is far safer these days for children than back in the 60's-90's. But back then anything that happened was rarely publicised.

I doubt if it's still on podcsst, but it was a very interesting discussion.

As others have said, you know your child best and use that for your decision

SusanC10

Our primary school insists that all Kids either go on the Bus or are collected by a Parent or another designated Adult. We are asked for the names of the designated adults at the start of each year.

seamus

From the school's point of view, there's a liability/insurance/duty of care issue.

The school is in charge of the child and their welfare and thus is obligated to ensure that the child is handed from their care in the care of a known entity at the end of the school day. They days of shoving kids out the door and locking the school up are long gone. If a parent doesn't come, the teacher has to stay with the child until they arrive.

Beyond a certain age (8, I think) the school is allowed to relax the policy, though it's dependent on many things such as the location of the school, time of day, etc., as to whether it's appropriate to allow a child to leave on their own. For example, if it's known to the school that the child lives several KM away, has special needs or the route involves crossing several large roads, then their duty of care is larger than for a child who lives 2 minutes away across a park.

Even a note from the parent saying, "John is an independent boy for six years old and can leave on his own", wouldn't be any defence for the school if John ran out on the road and got knocked down on his way home. They have a legal duty of care which can't be removed by the parent saying, "It's grand".

huskerdu

This sounds like its just your opinion. I'm interested in knowing if you have any legal basis for saying this.
In our school, in third class and upwards, the child can walk home and its the parents responsibility.

I don't believe that schools should be legally responsible for what happens a child walking home from school and I have not seen any evidence that they are, as you suggest.

My kids started walking home on their own in 4th class. It's a short safe walk with plenty of othe kids on the route.

seamus wrote: »

From the school's point of view, there's a liability/insurance/duty of care issue.

The school is in charge of the child and their welfare and thus is obligated to ensure that the child is handed from their care in the care of a known entity at the end of the school day. They days of shoving kids out the door and locking the school up are long gone. If a parent doesn't come, the teacher has to stay with the child until they arrive.

Beyond a certain age (8, I think) the school is allowed to relax the policy, though it's dependent on many things such as the location of the school, time of day, etc., as to whether it's appropriate to allow a child to leave on their own. For example, if it's known to the school that the child lives several KM away, has special needs or the route involves crossing several large roads, then their duty of care is larger than for a child who lives 2 minutes away across a park.

Even a note from the parent saying, "John is an independent boy for six years old and can leave on his own", wouldn't be any defence for the school if John ran out on the road and got knocked down on his way home. They have a legal duty of care which can't be removed by the parent saying, "It's grand".

seamus

huskerdu wrote: »

This sounds like its just your opinion. I'm interested in knowing if you have any legal basis for saying this.
In our school, in third class and upwards, the child can walk home and its the parents responsibility.

I don't believe that schools should be legally responsible for what happens a child walking home from school and I have not seen any evidence that they are, as you suggest.

My kids started walking home on their own in 4th class. It's a short safe walk with plenty of othe kids on the route.

It's standard practice. Ask anyone who works with children and they'll tell you the same; they can't send kids out on their own, even with prior permission.

As I say, there is an age where standard practice allows for this to be relaxed, and this is around 8. Which is 2nd/3rd class.

The "duty of care" beholden onto the school is a natural/common law obligation imposed on all individuals and organisations. The standard of care required is specific to the nature of the relationship between the liable entity and the member of the public on their premises.

That is, everyone has a duty of care towards everyone else. But it varies depending on the relationship between them and you. Generally, the obligation is on you to take reasonable measures to protect that individual from "foreseeable harm" which is in your control. The case of a school, they are obliged to take reasonable measures to protect children from foreseeable harm.

This has resulted in a standard practice (ask anyone who does child protection training), where children below a certain age are not permitted to leave a premises without a formal handover to someone else who is known to you or them.

This "duty of care" cannot be signed away. It's a statutory right/obligation that supersedes contract law. It can be mitigated by pointing out dangers, but that mitigation can only be limited in scope.

byhookorbycrook

seamus wrote: »

From the school's point of view, there's a liability/insurance/duty of care issue.

The school is in charge of the child and their welfare and thus is obligated to ensure that the child is handed from their care in the care of a known entity at the end of the school day. They days of shoving kids out the door and locking the school up are long gone. If a parent doesn't come, the teacher has to stay with the child until they arrive.

Beyond a certain age (8, I think) the school is allowed to relax the policy, though it's dependent on many things such as the location of the school, time of day, etc., as to whether it's appropriate to allow a child to leave on their own. For example, if it's known to the school that the child lives several KM away, has special needs or the route involves crossing several large roads, then their duty of care is larger than for a child who lives 2 minutes away across a park.

Even a note from the parent saying, "John is an independent boy for six years old and can leave on his own", wouldn't be any defence for the school if John ran out on the road and got knocked down on his way home. They have a legal duty of care which can't be removed by the parent saying, "It's grand".

Seriously, where do people get this kind of rubbish? There is no basis for any of the above in law, or anywhere else.



There are a few minutes of duty of care on the official arrival and dismissal times at most.



"The duty of care applies while the students are on the school premises during school opening hours. It may also apply if the students are present outside of official school hours, e.g., if they arrive early or leave late and the teacher/school has agreed to the students being present."


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/primary_and_post_primary_education/teachers_and_schools/teachers_duty_of_care.html

byhookorbycrook

seamus wrote: »

It's standard practice. Ask anyone who works with children and they'll tell you the same; they can't send kids out on their own, even with prior permission.

As I say, there is an age where standard practice allows for this to be relaxed, and this is around 8. Which is 2nd/3rd class.

The "duty of care" beholden onto the school is a natural/common law obligation imposed on all individuals and organisations. The standard of care required is specific to the nature of the relationship between the liable entity and the member of the public on their premises.

That is, everyone has a duty of care towards everyone else. But it varies depending on the relationship between them and you. Generally, the obligation is on you to take reasonable measures to protect that individual from "foreseeable harm" which is in your control. The case of a school, they are obliged to take reasonable measures to protect children from foreseeable harm.

This has resulted in a standard practice (ask anyone who does child protection training), where children below a certain age are not permitted to leave a premises without a formal handover to someone else who is known to you or them.

This "duty of care" cannot be signed away. It's a statutory right/obligation that supersedes contract law. It can be mitigated by pointing out dangers, but that mitigation can only be limited in scope.

I "work with children," I am a primary teacher and I have a lot of experience in child protection legislation. Your posts are your opinion. Not fact.

If your "rules" were to be fact,believe you me, schools would be implementing them.

Moonbeam

It depends on so many factors - Distance,roads,the area etc
I let mine walk to school from 7(1st class) but it was very close,I was going to the school with the younger kids anyway so would see them walk in.
We moved country and now the 9 year old gets either 2 buses or a 15 minute walk and a bus.

iwillhtfu

Moonbeam wrote: »

It depends on so many factors - Distance,roads,the area etc
I let mine walk to school from 7(1st class) but it was very close,I was going to the school with the younger kids anyway so would see them walk in.
We moved country and now the 9 year old gets either 2 buses or a 15 minute walk and a bus.

I'm curious as to what your version of very close is?

Moonbeam

At the end of our housing estate about 600m