Michelle Slater
Morwell Park Primary School assistant principal Peter Credlin is one of hundreds of teachers across the state who are celebrating more than four decades in teaching.
Mr Credlin was one of 16 teachers across Gippsland to be honoured for their dedication for between 40 and 55 years in teaching with a Recognition of Service to Victorian Education award.
The passionate educator began his career in the bush 45 years ago after coming off a farm in Wycheproof where his parents encouraged him into education.
He spent his first year as a graduate teacher at Edenhope Consolidated School before spending three years in a one teacher school at Woodburn Creek primary school.
There, he was single-handedly in charge of between 10 and 15 children from grades prep to six.
“They were the best years of my life. I learnt my craft very quickly. It was a farming area and education was valued – the students were keen to learn. It made my job easy,” he said.
“The older kids helped the younger children, parents were supportive and we could spend an entire day on a particular topic because we managed our own timetable.”
Mr Credlin gradually migrated east from small school to small school before he landed at Morwell Park as a leading teacher in 1989 and became assistant principal almost 18 years ago.
He said he was made to feel welcome working in a larger school community at Morwell Park. The school now has 360 students.
“I enjoy working in primary schools – you set the fundamentals for people, and I enjoy these aspects. It’s always pleasing when ex-students return to say hello,” he said.
“I enjoy the innocence of preps and I equally enjoy the growing maturity of the senior grades.”
Mr Credlin said the use of technology had been one of the greatest changes during his career which he said had opened the gate to inspire students to explore and enquire.
He said these days, teachers also face increasing pressures to solve social problems that they are not always trained for.
“But the staff here go a long way to help kids and their social issues,” he said.
“Children come to the learning experience with their own baggage. You need to be conscious that kids don’t care how much you know, so long as they know how much you care.”
Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing congratulated all the teachers recognised for their many years of service.
“Their commitment and dedication for education has been felt by generations of young students within the Gippsland community,” Ms Shing said.
