Today, we honor 138 years since the historic moment when the First Albanian School opened its doors in the city of Korça, a milestone that illuminated the path of national enlightenment. This sacred event crowned one of the most vital tasks of our national movement—the spread of education in our mother tongue.

The National Historical Museum today remembers the birth of this first beacon of learning, where the first teacher and director, Pandeli Sotiri, laid the foundation of a new era for Albanian education.

On March 8, 1887, the renowned patriot Thimi Marko, filled with joy, wrote to Visar Dodani in Bucharest: “Learn, Visar, that today our wish has been fulfilled; the Albanian school has opened. The tree we planted here two years ago now blooms and bears sweet fruit. Rejoice, for yesterday the school opened, and 35 students began their journey of knowledge. May the Lord of life bless and protect it for the honor of all. The hardships we endured and our fight against the Greek oppressors to complete this sacred task were so great, I cannot even put them into words on a card.”

Despite the challenges of the time, the School of Korça remained open for nearly 15 years, guided by figures of the Albanian National Renaissance such as Pandeli Sotiri, Petro Nini Luarasi, Nuçi Naçi, Thoma Avrami, and many others. Their contributions are a testament to their burning desire to cultivate knowledge among the people. These patriots also played a pivotal role in creating the first school texts for Albanian students, nurturing a generation of enlightened minds.

For centuries, under Ottoman rule, teaching had been conducted in secret, but the doors of the First Albanian School in Korça marked the dawn of an era where knowledge could flourish in the open. From this moment, March 7th became not just a date but a symbol—Teacher’s Day, celebrated by Albanians everywhere, a reminder of the light that education brings to the soul of the nation.

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