The month of December coincides with the 115th anniversary of the opening of the first Albanian Highschool in Elbasan, called ‘Normale’. This national school became the center for the preparation of teachers, who would then bring the Albanian language to all Albanian-speaking lands.

“All of us are pleased to celebrate the 115th anniversary of the Normal School, which has been the main foundation for all education lovers. Even more so in the city of Elbasan that in every family there is a member who received the foundation stone from the Normal school.”

To honor the contribution of teachers in Elbasan, an activity was organized, where some normal students were awarded the title of “Honorary Citizen”. Normalists remember that time with nostalgia, but emphasize that the school and the students have changed.

“Our generation has been very, very close to children, the schools then had demands and were very, very good. Now everything has changed and the school has also changed. ”

“I feel very happy that our work as educators is being recognized. I graduated from pedagogy. Then the school was stronger and stricter, the student was more careful, the teacher had different authority. Now the students are perhaps freer and this freedom is good for them, but these technological devices are spoiling the students. Back in time they only had cinema and books.”

Elbasan would not be a cradle of education without “Normal” and this school would not exist without the honorable people from Elbasan such as Luigj Gurakuqi, Aleksandër Xhuvani, etc. Over 5,000 documents from that time are still kept today in the school museum.