Im from Germany. Im almost done with my license and I feel rather comfortable driving with a manual transmission.
Keep in mind that here in Germany, some people study months for the theory test and driving lessons are driven with an instructor and are mandatory (including things like driving at night/on the highway/on country roads etc.)
That's... still not a lot. In Germany you're legally required to drive 40 hours with a licensed driving teacher and sit in school for 25 hours of theory learning before you're even allowed to attempt taking the test
I'm not sure you read my comment correctly but that's literally the same as most of the US...
In the US you have a couple months of theory courses which can be started at 15 years old, a set amount of driving time with an instructor, and then you get what we call a permit. Then before you can take your license test you have to drive 40 hours, 10 of which have to be at night with your permit. You can't drive on your own with a permit and have have to drive with a licensed adult. You log your driving hours on an app, or on a piece of paper your licensed passenger has to sign after each drive. After you submit your hours and pass your test you're given a provisional license for a year. You can't have any driving infractions, drive past midnight or drive anyone in the vehicle unless they are also licensed or are immediate family, otherwise you lose your license for a year.
Only 13 states out of the 50 don't have the same stipulations and restrictions, and most people still take driving courses in those states anyways.
I understand that being in Europe you might feel like your driving standards are a lot higher than in the US, but a lot of that is just due to movies and TV.