Retiring school principal Ross Willcocks says there is too much political interference in education.
Mr Willcocks (50), who spent his last day yesterday at Oamaru North School where he has been principal for the past 11 years, said ``bureaucracy'' had driven him out of the job.
He and his wife, Lois, who has been perceptual motor programme co-ordinator at the school, are moving to Dunedin.
Mr Willcocks will enter a business management role and Mrs Willcocks will return to nursing.
He was not angry at leaving _ but sad.
"It's not the school that's the problem. It's not the kids or the teachers or the school,'' he said.
"The Ministry [of Education], in its entirety . . . has just knocked me around too many times.''
Born and raised in Dunedin, Mr Willcocks has been 31 years working as either a teacher or principal.
It included stints teaching at Macandrew Intermediate in Dunedin, Oamaru Intermediate, two years teaching in England and then Collingwood Intermediate in Invercargill.
His first principalship was in Pukerau, followed by Mossburn and then Casa Nova in Oamaru, followed by Oamaru North.
The children were still the best part of the job and he would miss the pupils and the staff with whom he worked.
He was still sad about the demise of the special education unit at the school which closed in 2005.
"Those kids were a really special part of our school,'' Mr Willcocks said.
He was farewelled with a formal lunch with invited guests yesterday, followed by a special assembly.
Elizabeth McKenzie will be acting principal until Peter Roundhill, from Oceanview Heights School, in Timaru, takes over as principal at the beginning of the third term.
