Isn’t This Almost Kidnapping?
I’m a teacher at a school in Finland, teaching six- to sixteen-year-olds. The six-year-olds are considered pre-school here. The pre-school class has a rotation of teachers who look after them when the final bell rings in the afternoon, and today it is one of our newer teachers, our English teacher, who has moved here from the USA.
I notice her class is still full of students, all sitting awkwardly at their desks, several minutes after the final bell. Their teacher is standing there looking irritated. I enter the class:
Me: “Why is your class still here?”
US Teacher: “Because none of their parents have come to pick them up yet! They’re still waiting.”
Me: “They’re not being picked up. They walk home.”
She looks like I just told her we let six-year-olds drive cars.
US Teacher: “Walk home?! But they’re children!”
Behind her, the kids begin fidgeting. A few raise their hands.
Student: “Ma’am, it’s fine. We always walk.”
Another Student: “My house is less than two kilometres; it’s no big deal.”
US Teacher: “I’m not letting them just walk off alone! They’re too young. Someone needs to come get them.”
Me: *To the students.* “Pack your things and head home like normal, please.”
The class immediately stands, relieved.
US Teacher: “Hey! What are you doing?! They can’t just leave!”
Me: “This is normal here. Most of them walk home every day.”
US Teacher: “It’s unsafe!”
Me: “They walk to school every morning. Alone. Keeping them here longer actually makes it less safe; it’ll get dark, and then they’ll be walking home in the evening.”
US Teacher: “This would never happen in American schools!”
Me: “Ah, yes… because American schools are known worldwide for their safety…”
