Principal will retire but keep a hand in
ANYONE who knows Megan Odgers well knows she is always on the move.
So when the Ravensbourne School principal said she was retiring at the end of this year, everyone knew it would be more like ‘‘parttime retirement’’.
Mrs Odgers trained as a teacher in South Africa and started teaching in East London in 1985.
True to form and looking for adventure, she and her family emigrated to New Zealand in 1998.
‘‘It was a change of scenery. We just decided it was time to try something new.’’
She said part of their decision for leaving South Africa was the growing level of violence in the country.
They had family members who were held up at gunpoint during a carjacking.
‘‘It had a part to play. We had two young children so we were concerned for their futures.’’
Her first teaching job in New Zealand was at Tapanui Primary School.
Then in 2005, she went to Tomahawk School in Dunedin where she later became a teaching principal in 2006 and 2007.
She then became principal at Ravensbourne School in 2008.
Mrs Odgers said she had enjoyed every minute of her time in the profession, but said it had become more and more difficult to do her job in recent years.
‘‘The pressures on a small school are a whole lot more than what they were even five years ago.
‘‘The number of children with behavioural issues and special needs has increased tremendously in the last wee while.’’
She said the administration work in schools was also increasing.
‘‘There’s more and more responsibility for health and safety — all those things — there’s a lot more than what there was five years ago.
‘‘It’s coping with the pressure.’’
By her own admission, the 54yearold said she was still pretty young to be retiring.
‘‘I don’t even qualify for a Gold Card yet.
‘‘But it gets to the point where you’ve done what you can do.
‘‘It’s time for a change and a new outlook.
‘‘I’ve got a grandchild now and that puts things in to perspective. You realise that there’s more to life.
‘‘I want to make the most of retirement while I still have my fitness and health.’’
Mrs Odgers said she would miss the children most, so she planned to do relief teaching and some home tutoring in her retirement.
‘‘I suppose you could call it parttime retirement.’’
She also planned to run a bed and breakfast in Mornington.
‘‘There’s a lot to do out there still.
‘‘I’m looking to just take a step back, take a deep breath, and then go from there.’’