MARCH 31 ― In loco parentis is Latin for “in the place of a parent”; “instead of a parent”.
Black’s Law Dictionary defines the term as ‘charged factitiously with a parents’ rights, duties and responsibilities’.
Lord Eldon explained that a person “meaning to put himself in loco parentis” is one “in the situation of the person described as the lawful father of the child”. (Ex parte Pye 18 Ves 140, 154)
He is “a person assuming the parental character, or discharging parental duties” (Sir William Grant, 19 Ves 412),
Simply put, a person in loco parentis means a person taking upon himself the duty of a parent.
Like a teacher and a lecturer ― that is, an educator.
That an educator takes upon himself the duty of a parent is beautifully penned by National Laureate the late Usman Awang as follow:
Dialah ibu dialah bapa juga sahabat
Alur kesetiaan mengalirkan nasihat
Pemimpin yang ditauliahkan segala umat
Seribu tahun katanya menjadi hikmat.
Jika hari ini seorang Perdana Menteri berkuasa
Jika hari ini seorang Raja menaiki takhta
Jika hari ini seorang Presiden sebuah negara
Jika hari ini seorang ulama yang mulia
Jika hari ini seorang peguam menang bicara
Jika hari ini seorang penulis terkemuka
Jika hari ini siapa sahaja menjadi dewasa
Sejarahnya dimulakan oleh seorang guru biasa
Dengan lembut sabarnya mengajar tulis-baca.
Di mana-mana dia berdiri di muka muridnya
Di sebuah sekolah mewah di Ibu Kota
Di bangunan tua sekolah Hulu Terengganu
Dia adalah guru mewakili seribu buku;
Semakin terpencil duduknya di ceruk desa
Semakin bererti tugasnya kepada negara.
Jadilah apa pun pada akhir kehidupanmu, guruku
Budi yang diapungkan di dulangi ilmu
Panggilan keramat “cikgu” kekal terpahat
Menjadi kenangan ke akhir hayat.
A teacher in loco parentis, if he berates his student, he does that for the benefit of the student ― like any parent does.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, to berate is to criticise someone in an angry manner like in the example:
His mother berated him for making a mess.
When a teacher berates a student, he does not insult (hina) or scorn (caci) the student.
When a teacher berates a student, he does that in the discharge of his duty to the student as he stands in loco parentis with the student.
If today the student is not a prime minister or a lawyer or a writer, he must be a person who is wiser (siapa sahaja menjadi dewasa).
Then he owes it to every one of his teachers who stands in loco parentis with him ― who could have berated him somewhere, sometime ago.
