Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers were more appreciated and valued by society in the past than they are nowadays.

A society's educational system forms the infrastructure of that society. Teachers were once considered a key to a society's financial and political success. They used to be the distinguishing factor among the first and third world countries. Teachers play an important role in students' future life. Since they provide them with enough information that they would need to start a new job later on. Some people believe that nowadays people value and respect teachers more than they did before because now more people believe that they are the only trustworthy sources that can introduce their kids to an new world of opportunity and wealth. In my view, in the past teachers were respected much more than they are now, for two important reasons. First, in the past teachers cared about their students more. Feelings are mutual, hence, when students feel that their teachers care about them and run that extra mile for them, they equally respect them more. Take my mom's English teacher, as an example. When my mom was seventeen years old, she was a senior in high school. She had a great English teacher named Ms. Key. This teacher would stay a few minutes after the end of class so her students could ask her whatever questions they had. Moreover, she would award every student that got a high grade on each English exam. These actions motivated students to study more and consequently,they realized how much their teacher actually cares about their success. On the other hand, my teachers at university are not even interested in the material that they teach and they seize every opportunity to leave the class as soon as possible. Also, they do not even correct the exam sheets on time and students get their results one month after the actual exam. My mother is aware of this and does not value my teachers as much as she valued hers. Second, the advent of online media has substituted the place of teachers in most societies. Hence, people do not feel the need to use the help of a teacher in different aspects of life. Online media, namely, weblogs, tutoring classes run by students, books and articles that are all available have made the learning process faster, easier, cheaper and even more reliable. Nowadays, people hardly ever consult a teacher because they have other sources that can help them more efficiently than a teacher could possibly do. Therefore, teachers are less popular among students and they no longer look at them as highly valued sources that they once depended on to gain knowledge. In sum, whether it is the end of the era for hardworking and caring teachers or the arrival of online resources, these vital elements do not have the same respect and value as they did before.