Planning the Teacher as in Loco Parentis for an Effective School System

Abstract

In loco parentis, a Latin phrase, meaning in place of parent, is used to describe any other guardian or individual serving the role of a child’s parent. At the school level, the use of the expression is now well pronounced with the teacher saddled with this responsibility. Beyond academic activities which the teacher is expected to execute in the school, all other roles in the school for the teacher are geared towards ensuring the ‘total’ development of the child, including morals. This makes the job of the teacher a herculean one, considering children from different backgrounds characterized with different attitudes. As a result of this, the teacher needs various experiences from different fields like psychology, sociology, human relations and even economics supported with various theories of the child to function effectively, otherwise the shoes of in loco parentis may be too big for him to wear. Thus, the paper suggests continuous training to keep abreast with the challenges of playing the role of a parent.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n16p318