Article V. On the Obligations of Teachers and Pupils

597. 1. Teachers take the place of parents as regards spiritual education, and consequently have obligations similar to those of parents in spiritual education; namely, they must diligently instruct pupils in knowledge and good morals and, if it is necessary, also correct them. These obligations arise not only from the virtue of piety, but also from justice, both by reason of the office undertaken and by reason of the remuneration accepted. Hence teachers gravely fail in their office who disseminate depraved doctrines or give a bad example; who induce pupils to sin; or who are very indolent in imparting instruction or in administering necessary corrections.

598. 2. Pupils are bound to render teachers reverence, love, and obedience in all those things which pertain to studies and good morals. Accordingly, pupils sin if they detract from their teachers, deride or mock them, afflict them with calumnies and useless annoyances, or provoke others to irreverence and insolence. Likewise pupils sin if, against the will of the teacher, they waste time in idleness or play, if they do not attend during the lesson, or if they do not obey the commands pertaining to the discipline of the school. In practice, however, sins committed by pupils against teachers are quite rarely mortal, both because gravity of matter is absent and because sufficient deliberation is lacking.