The in loco parentis role of the teacher: A relationship perspective

Abstract

The parent (as the primary educator) as well as the teacher (as the secondary' educator) functions from independent societal units in their respective roles o f educating the educand The teacher as an in loco parents person has the right on the one hand to maintain order by means of school rules and the punishment o f transgressors and on the other hand has a duty to care for the safety o f the educands. The parent and the teacher share a common goal: the maturing and the development o f the educand. Whilst the nature o f this parent-teacher co-operation is defined as a partnership, it is - taking the technical essentials o f a partnership into account - more o f a voluntary association. This generates the question whether the whole system o f parEnt-teacher co-operation should not be reorganised on the basis o f a true partnership.