In Loco Parentis: On Teaching and Mothering in Zululand

in loco parentis: (Latin) “in the place of the parent”

“In loco parentis” is a term used to describe a situation where a person or organization (such as a school or university) take on some of the duties or functions typically associated with those of a parent. I have learned in my years working in the US that this is a fairly controversial philosophy in education. It fuels debates about parental involvement, the legal rights, responsibilities, and limitations on both parents and schools… especially as the legal trend is shifting away from “in loco parentis” and folks are catching up to that philosophically… whew

Moral of the story: In a US educational context, in loco parentis is a sticky mess of uncertainty.

This hasn’t been my experience in our village in South Africa; this culture is very clear on where they stand with this topic.

It first struck me during a scripture reading at one of our morning assemblies. The verse was about obeying your mother and your father and the Lord will promise you a long life on earth (Ephesians 6: 2-3). After reading the scripture, the teacher went on to ask the learners who their parents are…

        “Are your mother and your father your parents?”                                           “Yes.”

        “Your grandmother and your grandfather: are they your parents?”                “Yes.”

        “Is Madam Principal your parent?”                                                                 “Yes.”

        “Is Mr. Ngubane your father?”                                                                        “Yes.”

        “Is Madam Michelle your mother?”                                                            “Yes.”

        “We are all your parents, yes?”                                                                        “Yes.”

She went on to say that your parent is anyone who is older than you and you must listen to all of your elders to have a good life. Although I will admit that I had a knee-jerk, individualistic response in my mind, I was more struck by the gravity and meaning with which she spoke these words. This caused me to pause and reflect.

In some communities in which I have lived, community parenting has been a professed idea (“we all look out for each other; it takes a village…”) but the Zulu culture brings the concept to an entirely new level. I am legitimately viewed as a mother to these learners. My words and actions will have the weight of a parent. This is a huge responsibility, so I must be conscious and careful. It has made me think differently about how I engage with my learners and the boundaries that I set. It also causes me to place an even higher importance on incorporating self-esteem and social justice themes into my work.

These are my CHILDREN now. I must do my best by them.

Grade 7 Learners at Heritage Day 2014