With the common of education, almost all people can receive education before 18 years old. However, students gradually treat their teacher ina rude way. As a result, someone maintains that teacher in the past couldbe appreciated more than today. I totally agree with that.
    In the first place, the scarce of teacher in the past provide teacher a highly respected statue in the society. Obviously, few decades ago, teacher was so really rare that you could hardly find a teacher in a village, which was full of peasants. For few people had enough ability to teach other people, and knowledgeable people will work for government to make some research instead of teaching children in the village. Thus, children didn't have chance to study in the school. If they could access to a teacher, they will value him and respect him. Nevertheless, with the increasing population and development of technology, more people could receive great education, and only the most splendid people could become scientist. Hence, the rest of people tend to become a teacher, which has high statue on the society. So teacher are just everywhere now, and cannot get the same statue as the past before.
    Secondly, the increasing of number of teachers decreases the average quality of teachers. It cannot be denied that the increase of students adds the demand of teachers. Some parts of teachers are those people who cannot find good jobs and just need stable salaries. In fact, they don't have enough competence to teach students. Thus, the bland from students and parents destroys the image of teacher in people's mind who should be knowledgeable. It can lead to some more serious problems that people begin to doubt the teacher and don't trust them. Some people who become teacher in the elementary school can hardly be appreciated than past before.
    In a word, teacher cannot be valued by society now, because the increasing of number of teachers decreases the average quality of teachers.