CMG3701 Assignment 4 2025 (Answer Guide) - Due 21 August 2025

CMG3701 Assignment 4 2025 (Answer Guide) - Due 21 August 2025 Question 1 1.1 Concept of loco parentis and Specific Duties of Care The concept of loco parentis refers to a legal and moral obligation where a school and its staff assume the role of a parent while learners are under their supervision (Bray, 2005). This principle imposes a duty of care on educators to act as reasonably careful parents would under similar circumstances. During the school trip, Progressive Pathways Academy and its staff, including Mr Dlamini, were expected to ensure the physical safety, emotional well-being, and general supervision of Thabo and Lerato. Specific duties included: • Monitoring their whereabouts at all times • Protecting them from foreseeable harm, including travel risks • Addressing misconduct with appropriate disciplinary measures that still prioritise learner safety and procedural fairness (Joubert & Prinsloo, 2009) 1.2 Analysis of Mr Dlamini’s Decision in Light of Loco Parentis Mr Dlamini’s decision to send Thabo and Lerato home alone at night from Kruger National Park raises serious concerns under the loco parentis standard. A reasonable parent would not expose children to potential harm by making them travel unsupervised, especially at night and in a remote area. While disciplinary action may have been warranted, ensuring their safe supervision until parents could intervene or other arrangements were made would have reflected appropriate care (Beckmann & Prinsloo, 2004). Thus, Mr Dlamini deviated from the expected standard of a responsible guardian by prioritising punishment over safety. 1.3 General Duty of Supervision vs Specific Duty under Loco Parentis The general duty of supervision refers to the school’s obligation to oversee learners' conduct and well-being during school-related activities. The specific duty of care under loco parentis, however, is heightened during excursions and requires educators to act in ways a prudent parent would especially