There were times when children would be sent to school for the purpose laid down in the aforementioned saying. Children were handed over to principals and teachers in state-run schools and all sorts of authority over them was delegated to these ‘spiritual parents’. In those times, there used to be great teachers — committed and dedicated to their job. Students wouldn’t dare come up with a complaint against any of their teachers — though at times they would be punished for acts undertaken by others but they wouldn’t protest. When we look at our society and the status of teachers, they have been the lowest paid professionals. Besides, those with no other options would opt for teaching. But still due to the social and cultural norms, students would show regards for teachers. A quick look at the curriculum of Islamiat shows that it talks about human relationships, interdependence, honesty, simplicity, rights of family members and teachers, etc. But these are rarely stressed upon in schools Then came the era of private schools. Their selling point is that individual attention is paid to every child. These schools are autonomous in selection of students, designing of curriculum, selection of text books and setting tuition fee. This parallel system of schooling has emerged as a success as state-run schools lack many basic facilities and promote rote learning. The ideas of conceptual or activity-based learning, no or minimal homework, and air-conditioned classrooms were more than enough to attract parents’ attention, despite the very high cost compared to state-run schools. Though they have filled a vacuum, private schools have also led to many fractures in the relationships between the trio of students, teachers, and parents. They have contributed to the overall deterioration of moral and ethical values in the society. A very simple diagnosis reveals that children attending these schools are very well aware of the fact that their parents are paying a high fee — and at times they remind teachers about this as well — as a result the respect a teacher used to enjoy in the past is minimal. Parents usually tell their kids that the school or teacher has no right to punish them. Secondly, mostly private schools are running for commercial purposes rather than serving the purpose of education. At times, their only objective is to admit more and more students, regardless of the qualifications of those admitted. Thirdly, teachers employed at these schools are mostly also interested in making money rather than serving education as a sacred profession. The growing number of coaching academies and long queue of vehicles near these academies reflects poorly on what goes on in school hours in the name of teaching. At times, students wouldn’t need a support class but peer pressure as well as the classroom situation may lead them to opt for a support class. The trio of students, teachers and parents has its salient roles to promote ethical values but in the current scenario the trio seems to be in divergence. The state-run schools and madaris are trying to maintain and sustain the sanctity of the teacher-student relationship, though by force and through strict measures. When it comes to the teacher-student relationship, issues and problems at these schools are of a different nature. Our national curriculum aims at developing critical thinking skills and promoting cultural and moral values. It talks about imparting respect for human rights and humanity (objective no 9 in Islamiat Curriculum 2006-7), diversity, social justice, equality, and difference of opinion, and an understanding of the importance of national integration. A quick look at the curriculum of Islamiat shows that it talks about human relationships, interdependence, honesty, simplicity, rights of family members and teachers, etc. But these are rarely stressed upon in schools. Finally, while talking about education reforms to combat extremism, we mostly forget about the key character: the teacher. Initiatives are being undertaken by provincial governments to improve the quality of textbooks but the same attention has not been paid to the teaching human resources. It is questionable whether our teachers are themselves fully aware of aims and objectives laid out in policy documents and targets set in the national curriculum. Also, how frequently do our teachers get refresher courses to acquaint themselves with evolving teaching standards? How far are they trained to understand learning outcomes set in policy documents and the application of these outcomes in practical life? Do they really understand the sensitivity of their job? The state and particularly the provincial governments have to think of concrete measures to re-build and re-bridge the deteriorating student-teacher relationship. And let’s also strengthen the teacher-student-parent triangle for a morally strong and cohesive society. The writer has experience in the field of education and is currently working as a resource person in the development sector