Bravo Boris! While the area is quoted by some as being high a traffic area (used a short cut) this is an intrinsic issue with most built up areas in large cities. With high volumes of traffic on main arteries people will look for ways to cut time off their journey, which often means taking a short cut through a residential area or two. Should this mean that the children of the area must be dead bolted and padlocked away for fear of some potential injury in the future? And what of their age (5 and 8 reportedly), well at five I was staying home alone at night for hours at a time because I had no one to look after me, and by eight I was walking to school alone along some of the busiest roads in my suburb. I am still here, no broken bones, no car accidents, no abductions. And you know what, so is everyone else that I knew who did the same. If only common sense where more common stories like these would not be news worthy.

I also was walking alone to school and back every day since the age of 6, via streets, a field and a forest. The solitude and serenity sharpened my mind and enriched my soul.

It is shameful that today's governments deny individuals of basic freedoms based on their young age. Governments never really cared for you and me in the first place, they exist only to satisfy their own power-hunger. This is yet another reason to avoid bringing children into the current world, knowing that the government will be after them, forcing them into schools in order to rob their soul and make them serve as part of the "work force".

While no place on earth is totally free of dangers, instilling fear of strangers, traffic, etc. is one tactic which the government uses to avert young minds of the more serious and imminent danger of being turned into robots.

Here in Australia it seems to be not so much the government trying to overprotect kids from the enjoyment of life, but panicky mums. Driving kids to and from school in their cars they clutter the roads, deprive the kids the opportunities to explore their environment in detail, visit their friends along the way, and to develop self confidence. A stupid waste of time practised not only in capital cities but in quiet rural cities as well.

I can't remember the last time I saw a child cross a road by themselves or a group of young children walking around together.

Hooray for country living. In our rural village the kids scoot round on bikes all the time - not usually to get to school, but to visit friends and play. Some years ago a group of primary school boys decided to visit a school friend who lived out of town, and set of in the morning to ride there. They knew the way, but had no idea of the distance - they covered the 15 kilometres in time for lunch. None of the parents knew what they were up to, but were very impressed when they found out!

Children vary so much I think parents are best placed to know when they can safely get themselves to school. Generally speaking the greatest risks for children are in the home not out in the community.

Some of my fondest school memories happened on the way to or from school: the long walk to the bus stop and the long walk (across railway lines) from the bus stop to the school until I was about 8; the long ride after that. I never felt like I was in danger, and my parents respected me and our community enough to allow me to do it.

When I was 12, one of my friends disappeared off the radar after his parents clearly disapproved of my parents' negligent belief that I could ride (through a national park) to his house. Well, I made it there and back unscathed, enjoyed the ride and was certainly a lot fitter and took a lot more initiative than their son ever did. Interestingly, when he was 12 he was still not allowed to visit friends if they had pools - even adequately fenced pools that he and his friends would not be using.

Yep - scaredy-cat parents can hinder the development of well-rounded kids. I wonder what he's doing with himself these days? The poor guy.