President Begaj’s Address on Teacher’s Day
It is a pleasure and a special emotion to be together in this room today, the most important hall of the Presidential Institution! I wish the hall could be much larger to include all teaching and education professionals, because you deserve much more. I assure you that you who are in this hall, and others, have my utmost attention, although the selection has been made quite randomly. In fact, from the messages I have received, I am pleased, because everyone tells me that the right choices have been made, and those of you in this hall best represent the entire generation of those who have influenced the lives of many generations through their education, knowledge, and societal development. Therefore, today I extend my best wishes to you and all teachers across the country and wherever they serve, for their educational mission. Your work and dedication deserve our deepest recognition and respect.
March 7th reminds us of the great sacrifices we have had to make over the centuries to consolidate educational institutions and educate generations in our beautiful Albanian language.
Teacher’s Day is the day we pause to reflect on one of the most important and noble professions in our society: teaching and education.
This is a special day. A day to honor you, teachers, who have served and continue to serve with dedication and passion. This day is a continual reminder of the undeniable impact that teachers have on our lives, in society, and on the future of generations. Your contribution to education cannot be measured in numbers, but in the minds you have enlightened, the dreams you have encouraged and inspired, and the values you have passed down through generations.
Therefore, I take advantage of today’s meeting to express my gratitude, as well as society’s gratitude to all Albanian teachers.
Your work is not just a profession. It is a mission that stems from a passion for sparking curiosity and highlighting talents among students and leading them on the beautiful path of knowledge. Your work and contribution are not preparation for life; they are life itself.
With knowledge, patience, and great heart, you have shaped and continue to shape the minds and spirits of entire generations.
This beautiful celebration in honor of the noble individuals who have always served as models of inspiration for wisdom and dedication should also be a day of reflection for our commitment to value and support teachers in society.
A society that values its teachers is a conscious society, as only through quality education of generations can a prosperous and sustainable future be built.
The world is changing at a breathtaking pace. Artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital transformation are reshaping every aspect of our lives. Technology has opened endless possibilities for learning, but it will never replace the emotion of the first contact of new students with their teacher, nor the pride a teacher feels when seeing a thirst for knowledge in their students’ eyes. A computer, available to everyone, can provide information, but it cannot teach life values, civic duty, or community living. An algorithm may analyze data faster, but it cannot inspire a child to dream.
The teacher remains and will always be the key factor in education. They are the bridge between knowledge and character development, the guide to the proper use of modern technology, a promoter of personal development, and an inspirer to change society and the world.
You are not just transmitters of knowledge; you are supporters and a role model. Behind every great achievement is always a mentor teacher who has spent countless hours explaining, motivating, and helping to cope with life’s challenges.
Certainly, over the years, the role of the teacher has changed. Being a teacher today is a major challenge. Children grow up in a world where many information sources are not always accurate. Social networks influence their thoughts and behaviors, but not always in the right direction.
Thus, Albania, the country, needs teachers who do not just assign grades, but who foster knowledge, dreams, and help build a society with critical thinking and strong democratic and patriotic values.
We need to be a nation that reads, a nation that studies, a nation that moves forward with the power of the mind and a thirst for knowledge. In this battle, teachers are on the front line.
We cannot have a strong Albania without quality education, and we cannot have quality education without valued, supported, and well-trained teachers. If we want a better future, we must start with those who contribute to the educated citizens of tomorrow: the teachers.
I thank you again for everything you have given in your noble profession, for every encouraging word, for every wise advice, for your patience and dedication!
I thank you on behalf of every former student who now lives the dream fostered and supported by you, for every generation you have helped become more knowledgeable and stronger!
In fact, today, March 7th, is celebrated differently. I am emotional in this hall because I have some of my mentors, my teachers, and I truly feel very good. In our time it was celebrated, but it was hard to find a postcard to give to the teacher, or a branch of mimosa if it had bloomed, whereas today it is very different, but still, it remains a blessed day, a day that should be marked, a day that should be celebrated.
Happy March 7th!
Happy Teacher’s Day!