The deputy principal of Marlborough Boys' College, who is known for his generosity and as the school's Mr Fix-it, says leaving his post was one of the biggest decisions he's made in his life.
Paul Jackson is leaving the college at the end of this year to become the rector of Waitaki Boys' High School in Oamaru.
Mr Jackson said the high school, which has a roll of 550 students from years 9 to 13, was a school built on great tradition just like boys' college.
Mr Jackson started at Boys' College three years ago and has worked under two principals and an interim principal.
The opportunity at Waitaki Boys' was too good to pass up, he said.
"It was one of the biggest calls in my life to move from here [the college]. It's very settled, very calm. Once you've got a school with kids on edge, that's when you've got problems."
"There's a lot of learning going on simply because we've put a line in the sand."
That was a lesson learned from interim principal Dave Turnbull, who took over from former principal John Rodgers and was later replaced by Wayne Hegarty.
"One thing he taught me is that each student is an individual and you can't treat each student the same.
"The kids know where the line in the sand is and you're always going to get the two or four per cent crossing that line, but it's how you deal with it that's important."
Many of the boys realise they make mistakes and own up to it, he said.
Also the school's property manager, Mr Jackson said he was most proud of putting the crossing outside the school on Stephenson St and creating the courtyard in between the school hall and the school blocks.
Before the courtyard was in place, the area was covered with stones, he said.
"On my very first day I was a reliever and I was walking across the courtyard with John Rodgers and I said to him: `Which bloody idiot decided to put stones in the middle of a boys' school?' He said it was him."
A mechanical engineer in a previous life, Mr Jackson has always enjoyed fixing things around the college.
One Sunday afternoon he got a call about a water leak at the school and came in with his plumbing kit to fix it.
On another occasion he changed the oil filter on the school's tractor while in his suit.
Principal's assistant and friend Jill Pickering called Mr Jackson the John Cleese of the college because of his sense of humour.
His generosity was well known and on occasion had bought lunch and shoes for students out of his own pocket, she said.
Mr Hegarty said Mr Jackson was passionate about what he did and had a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm for his work.
Mr Jackson's official last day is December 9, but he said he would stay around while earthquake strengthening work was done around the college over summer, but would like to be in Oamaru a few weeks before school started.
His partner, Joy Garvin, the head of languages at Marlborough Girls' College, will also be leaving for a post as head of English at St Kevin's College in Oamaru.
Two of his younger sons will also move to Oamaru while the two older sons have decided to spend their final year of school at boys' college.- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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