November 17 is not just any date; it is the date on which International Students’ Day is celebrated.
It is an important day because it reminds us that education is a right. Today, in the West, we almost take it for granted that this is so, that it should be so, but this has not always been the case and, unfortunately, it is still not the case everywhere in the world.
The origins of this day
If we ask ourselves why this day was established, we discover that it was created precisely to commemorate the defense of the right to study: November 17 marks the anniversary of the deaths of teachers and students in Czechoslovakia who chose to oppose the Nazis and the war in 1941.
It is a day born out of struggle and, one might say, resilience.
Education as a means of growth and inclusion
The time devoted to education and training is precious because it is the time when the men and women of tomorrow are shaped: through education, it is possible to grow in awareness of oneself and the world around us; it is possible to progress in many ways.
In this sense, one of the fundamental goals of International Students’ Day is to guarantee everyone a peaceful and welcoming environment that enables this growth and to remind us of the importance of the universal and inclusive dimension: today, rightly, a great deal of attention is paid to students with special educational needs and physical or mental disabilities. School should always be a place that teaches acceptance and offers the freedom to be oneself.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino: Brother Donkey
It is known that the logic of heaven is not our logic, and so the patron saint of students is Saint Joseph of Cupertino. Known as the “saint of flights” because of his ecstasies that made him rise from the ground, he struggled greatly to become a priest precisely because he had difficulty studying. Heaven, however, helps him in an extraordinary way: after many trials, he is welcomed into the “Grottella” convent and, amid a thousand difficulties, reaches the examination for the diaconate.
Here, a miracle occurs: Joseph has an in-depth knowledge of only one passage from the Gospel, and it is precisely the one that the examining bishop asks him to comment on. A similar extraordinary event happens three years later, when he is to become a priest: the bishop questions some of the candidates and, finding them particularly well prepared, extends admission to the priesthood to all the others. In 1628, Joseph is thus ordained a priest.
Yet his humility remains intact: aware of his cultural limitations, he does not disdain the simplest manual tasks and nicknames himself “Brother Donkey”.
Students turn to him with confidence at the beginning of the school year or before an exam, knowing that they will be listened to.
We celebrate this day by remembering its value: if you are a teacher or a student, share your experience of learning and growth with us.
