As we know, the Church has always had close ties to education and culture. Knowledge remains one of the basic elements of every Christian’s educational and character development. This year two special events coincided on one day, the first day of school fell on September 14th, the feastday celebration of the Holy Cross.
 
    Romeo Boci is in his final year as a student in the Church’s Holy Cross High School in the Sukth, near Durres.  This school has given him and his peers a taste of living in a Christian environment. He speaks concisely and intelligently about the school saying, “Above all else, I have received a fruit in this school which is given to us by our Church, that is love. Now our school is complete [the school began only with 10th grade a few years ago and now is a complete high school through 12th grade (in Albania 9th grade is considered part of middle school)] and we are conscientious about our lessons and will try to help each other and the staff so we can all move forward.”
 
    The school has come a long way and made many efforts so that the students will have positive results in their education.  Director Anastas Dodbiba considers the three years that the school has functioned to be a great challenge with many accomplishments. Most importantly this year is that the school has a new dormitory and has raised the level of its educators by hiring new and talented teachers.  The students are following the full program designated by the government to which is added prayer time, study hours, various discussions and other activities.
 
  The Church’s other high school with the name “Holy Cross” is in Gjirokastra  (in southern Albania).  This school is in its eleventh year and welcomed a new class of 10th graders. The dedicated staff is working hard to integrate the government’s new academic system into the school.  Director Thanas Bej hopes that this year the students will be stimulated intellectually to be more creative in all their work and activities and that the school will continue to raise its standards and quality of education.
 
    On September 15th the new school year began for the Apostle Paul Professional High School when His Grace, Metropolitan Dhimitri of Gjirokastra celebrated the Sanctification Service with holy water there. The service was also attended by the mayors of Finiq and Mesopotam and students and teachers from the nearby public school came as well to receive His Grace’s blessing for a good school year. Apostle Paul Professional School is in its 4th year and is located in the village of Mesopotam near Delvina. It offers courses in computer science, electrical installation, plumbing, and air condition installation. Metropolitan Dhimitri stressed that this school, which was founded and supported by His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, desires not only to prepare its students to be competent in their various professions but also to be virtuous people, so that with faith in and help from God, they will help create a healthier society. The parents in attendance also expressed their gratitude that their children have the opportunity to study here.
 
    The Church in Albania has also opened elementary schools with funds secured by Archbishop Anastasios.
 
    The American-Albanian Elementary School “Protagonists” is in its 8th year and welcomed more than 30 new first graders this year. While the 1st-3rd graders continue in the building near St. Prokopi Church in the largest park in Tirana, the 4th-8th graders have moved into a beautiful modern building which was just finished this spring and is in the church yard of the Evangelismos Church on Kavaja Street. Juliana Kaba, a teacher at this school, explained “The child is in the center of the lesson and we try to continuallyinclude them in the learning process. We use methods from American classrooms in our teaching.”  The school is always trying to raise its standards and the quality of education that it offers so that the students can have some of the best results in national competitions and Olympiads.
 
    The Greek-Albanian Elementary School “Spirit of Love,” near the St. George Church in Durres is in its 5th year and has 82 students, 20 of which are in the first grade this year. Director Kristaq Mile was glad that the new school year was greeted with enthusiasm from the staff and students. 
 
          
Isidor Koti
 
Translated by Georgia Bendo
 
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