All teachers, pupils and students in Albania celebrate Teacher’s Day every March 7. This holiday is celebrated by all teachers and students throughout the country, as a sign of appreciation and respect for all those that through great sacrifices fought for the Albanian language.

This celebration started in March 1887 in Korça, where the first Albanian school was opened. Its first teacher and director was Pandeli Sotiri.

Among other things, this event was a great victory for the Albanian people, since until then, due to the Ottoman rule, teaching of mother tongue was banned, and teaching in Albanian was done secretly.

So from that day, March 7 is celebrated in Albania as Teacher’s Day to commemorate that important cultural and historical event in all schools and universities.

Although in difficult conditions, when the learning of the Albanian language due to the conditions under the Ottoman rule was strictly prohibited, the school of Korça remained open for almost 20 years.

Its leaders were well-known personalities of the Albanian Renaissance who fought with rifle and pen for the Motherland, and many fell martyrs of the language like Petro Nini Luarasi, Nuçi Naçi, Thoma Avrami, and many others.

The great contribution that these eminent patriots and activists made to the nation is evidenced by the ardent desire they had to protect national identity and spread knowledge among the people.

/a.p./