referencing a list<Model> in a looping ParialView - asp.net-mvc

Question

I have been trying to loop partial views, which share the same model as the main view. Basically the idea is that there is a registration page where a parent can register multiple children, the children info is in partial view so that i can add multiple instances of it on the main view.
I can get the partial view to display multiple times but it only saves the first student. if i replace the partial view (#Html.Partial...) with #Html.EditorFor(f => f.student[i].Person.FirstName) in the main view then it works fine and i can add multiple textboxes and save multiple students
how can i use the partial views and be able to pass in the ParentModel and correctly reference it?
hope all this makes sense... any help is appreciated. thanks!
Model:
public partial class Person()
{
public string FirstName { get; set; }
}
public partial class Student
{
public int Student_PersonID { get; set; }
public int Father_PersonID { get; set; }
public virtual Person Father { get; set; }
public virtual Person Person { get; set; }
}
public class ParentModel
{
public List<Student> student { get; set; }
}
Main View
#model WebPortal.Models.ParentModel
<div>
#for (int i = 0; i < cnt; i++)
{
#Html.Partial("_StudentPartial", Model, new ViewDataDictionary { { "loopIndex", i.ToString() } });
}
</div>
<div>
#Html.EditorFor(f => f.student[0].Father.FirstName)
</div>
Partial View (_StudentPartial)
#model WebPortal.Models.ParentModel
#{
int i = Convert.ToInt32(ViewData["loopIndex"].ToString());
}
#using (Html.BeginForm())
{
<div class="editor-field">
#Html.EditorFor(m => m.student[i].Person.FirstName)
</div>
}
Controller
public ActionResult Register(ParentModel pm)
{
using (var db = new SMEntities())
{
for (int i = 0; i < pm.student.Count; i++)
{
if (i != 0)
{
pm.student[i].Father = pm.student[0].Father;
}
db.Students.Add(pm.student[i]);
}
db.SaveChanges();
}
}

Answer 1

A better way to structure things will be like this :
Type the _StudentPartial View to Student like this -
#model WebPortal.Models.Student
#using (Html.BeginForm())
{
<div class="editor-field">
#Html.EditorFor(m => m.Person.FirstName)
</div>
}
Then model your main view like this :
#model WebPortal.Models.ParentModel
<div>
#for (int i = 0; i < cnt; i++)
{
#Html.Partial("_StudentPartial", Model.student[i]);
}
</div>
<div>
#Html.EditorFor(f => f.student[0].Father.FirstName)
</div>
Try to use this as a guideline : Give to the view only the information it needs, not more.