Exhibition in Korça: 121 years of Albanian school (Mësonjëtorja)

On March7th 2008, the Albanian Nationwide Collectors Center, the Youth Senate of Korca, the Municipality of Korca and the Central Archive of Albania, opened the exhibition “121 years of the first Albanian School” at the National Museum of Education in Korca. 121 years before, the opening of the first Albanian School in Korca called “Mësonjëtore” was the crowning of decades-long efforts of our Renaissance man. It marks the beginning of the realization of Albanian nation aspirations for education in natal language. In the history of the Albanian School and our national education was recorded a new stage, a qualitative step, a model for Albanian schools that after were opened in Prizren, Shkodra, Elbasan, Filat, Ioannina, Skopje, etc. The establishment of the first Albanian “Mësonjtore” in Korca was the achivment of the Albanian patriots efforts,  and patriotic clubs and societies inside and outside our country. First “Mësonjtore” of Korca remained as a symbol of Albanian education because:

1 .It has a comprehensive national physiognomy.

2.Is supported the aspirations and ideals of freedom and independence.

3. It was a secular school.

4.The main subjects were taught in Albanian.

5. The teachers who contributed to its opening as Pandeli Sotiri, Petro Nini Luarasi, Nuci Naci etc, were the most active patriots of the culture and education in the Albanian language.
6. Renaissance prominent figures such as Naim, Sami Frashëri, Parashqevi Qiriazi etc, published dozens of scholarly books for classrooms, where we can mention “Albanian Language Primer” etc.

7.It was  an example of religious tolerance of our people, the lessons were attended by students of various religious faiths, Muslims and Orthodox Christians, rich and poor. The poor students took the books and notebooks for free.

In this exhibition contributed the Municipality of Korca and the Central Archive of Albania. The last year Albanian Nationwide Collectors Center, has made an exhibition for Albanian education in Korca. In chronology of its activities, also are the exhibitions for the 94 anniversary of independence in Vlora, in the International Book Fair in October 2006 in Tirana, on the day of monograph promotion “The flag of the Albanian Nation,” of Jaho Brahaj researchers in Pristina on November 2007, on 540th anniversary of the death of Skanderbeg in Struga, etc.