Teacher-training pioneer calls it quits

Heather Peters is hanging up her graduation gown 20 years after pioneering Northland's teacher training college.

Operated as a part of the University of Auckland these days, the Tai Tokerau campus was initially an offshoot of the Auckland College of Education.

Bringing a teacher's college to Whangarei was an important part of providing quality teachers to the Northland region, Ms Peters said.

"Northland people were asking to be taught in Northland. The more mature students were saying they could never get into teaching if they had to travel to Auckland."

Ms Peters put her hand up for the job of co-ordinator at the outset of planning and has played a key role in the running of the college since.

"I thought, 'Who better to work here than myself? I belong to the North'."

"I thought I had a little bit of ownership around the place so I applied for the job and got it and I've been here ever since."

Originally from the coastal settlement of Whananaki, Ms Peters followed her elder brothers, Jim and Winston, to tertiary training in Auckland in the mid-1960s.

Graduating from the Auckland College of Education in 1968, she taught at primary and secondary schools before returning to the teacher's college as a tutor.

When the opportunity arose to start a campus in Northland, Ms Peters jumped at the chance.

The campus started with 30 students and Ms Peters taught three of the six courses.

"We had not many buildings and a very small library and no ICT suite. It was a bit countrified, however, as we got more interest and more people wanting to come on board, the place grew and we got more facilities."

These days the campus boasts 180 students, 63 of whom graduated at Forum North yesterday.

Ms Peters said the graduates had been provided with a quality training programme, and now it was time for them to put their training into practice.

"Teaching is a wonderful career and no two days are the same.

"You might have bells ringing and you might have routines but every day is different."

However, after more than four decades in the sector, Ms Peters is ready for a change.

"I want to have a break, have a holiday. I plan to go overseas and after three or four months I'll have a look around [at what to do next], but I'm not rushing."