Exhibition in Korça celebrated Teachers’ Day

On March 7th, the city of Korça hosted the exhibition titled “Traces of knowledge, the first notebooks,” celebrating both Teachers’ Day and the 138th anniversary of the opening of the first Albanian school, Mësonjëtorja e Korçës.

Organized by the Education Museum of Korça in collaboration with collector Mirgen Shamblli, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage Korça, and the “Thimi Mitko” Public Library, the exhibition showcased a collection of historical notebooks from 1920 to 1955, carefully preserved by Shamblli. Additionally, the city’s public library displayed the register of the girls’ primary school from the 1923-1924 and 1945-1946 school years.

Fjoralba Prifti, Director of the Medieval Art Museum and the Education Museum, emphasized the historical value of the items on display. Among the artifacts was a graffiti tablet used by students in the early days of the school’s establishment. These early tablets represented the beginning of formal education in Albania when students wrote on stone surfaces before the widespread use of notebooks and paper.

Why is this important: The exhibition offered a unique opportunity to explore the history of education in Albania and honored the legacy of Mësonjëtorja e Korçës as a symbol of Albania’s educational and national identity. The event was open to the public on March 7th, inviting visitors to reflect on the importance of education and the role of teachers in shaping the nation’s future.

Context: Mësonjëtorja e Korçës, which opened on March 7, 1887, under the late Ottoman Empire, marked a pivotal moment in Albanian history. It was the first institution to teach in the Albanian language, a symbol of the national movement for educational and cultural rights within the Empire. The school became a hub for patriotic and cultural education, especially during a time when the Albanian language was suppressed by the Ottoman authorities following the League of Prizren. Its opening marked a significant act of cultural resistance and national identity formation, laying the groundwork for a unified and modern educational system in Albania.

The opening of Mësonjëtorja e Korçës is celebrated annually as Teachers’ Day, recognizing its historical significance. The school served not only as an educational center but also as a symbol of resistance to foreign rule and the promotion of national identity.

Today, the building serves as the National Museum of Education, preserving its legacy and offering insight into the development of Albania’s educational system. The museum houses important artifacts, including early Albanian educational materials and documents, showcasing the role of the school in shaping the modern Albanian state.