In loco parentis

The government is taking children from their parents so they can be raised by government workers. This sounds like either an over-the-top conspiracy theory or maybe something taken from dystopian fiction. Unfortunately, there is reason to believe that this is really happening right now.



If you want to get technical, children aren't being taken from parents. Instead, parents are voluntarily handing over their children. With certain laws and limitations, many parents feel as though they have no choice. In case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, I am talking about schools.

There are exceptions. Some people find independent schools, and others pursue homeschooling. Neither of these approaches puts children in the hands of government workers, although many are inspired to align their approaches with government expectations. Of course, this is a small minority. Some estimates put 90% of all children in these government facilities.

There is a term that I wanted to bring up, in loco parentis. This means in place of the parent. The idea behind this term is that people who are responsible for a child take on responsibilities of parents. This term is frequently applied to the teaching profession, and there are legitimate legal issues surrounding this term.

Around 90% of the population is expected to leave their parents for a significant portion of every year. The parents have no choice but to relinquish parental duties during that time. Schools that are controlled by the government then gain the responsibilities of those parents. Teachers, who are effectively employees of the government, are legally obligated to act as parents.

What all of this means is that the government makes parents feel like they have to hand their children to the government. At that point, government workers take over the role of parents. In loco parentis. This is not just an absurd conspiracy theory. This is a defense for dystopian non-fiction.