Teachers were more appreciated and valued by society in the past than they were nowadays. 

TPO 41: Teachers were more appreciated and valued by society in the past than they were nowadays. 

China has a long tradition of respecting teachers, which is embedded in Confusion ideologies. And Chinese people have practiced a long time to send gifts to their teacher on Teacher’s Day on September 10th every year. From the past to the present, different people hold different viewpoints on how much we should respect and value teachers. Even though many people think teachers received more appreciation in the past, I think that teachers nowadays are more valued by society.

To begin with, people focus more on education than they used to be. In other words, spending more time on education is considered necessary for most people. With the fast development of China, many citizens need more education opportunities to equip themselves with the knowledge to face new challenges. Therefore, the role of the teacher becomes significant during the process of teaching. Apart from basic education, many parents in China send their children to take extra classes in piano, English, basketball and so on. For instance, my little cousin Lily often spends her weekends in learning different skills and knowledge, such as music, math, or English.

In addition, the requirements to be a teacher nowadays become higher. To be more specific, it is not easy to become a teacher anymore. In the past, there were hardly any regulations or rules for professional teachers; however, certain certificates and degrees are required for potential teachers to ensure the education quality that the students receive. For instance, the second best high school in my city recently just recruited several PhD graduates as high school teachers. It is unimagining in the past about such high standards to become teachers. In the past, there were no strict rules to be teachers to teach other students.

Furthermore, the government also plays an important role in teaching and education. The Chinese government requires nine-year compulsory education for every citizen in this country, which means that everyone has to finish his or her middle school education. Besides, more people suggest extending the time of compulsory education.  Therefore, the increased importance of education requires the local school to hire more teachers. Nevertheless, few governments in the past established compulsory education systems. Education is only for the wealthy and the upper-class people to have.

In conclusion, I claim that teachers actually receive more appreciation and respect in the current society than in the past.