IT WAS the end of an era at Inverkeithing High School last week with the retiral of a popular modern studies teacher.

Jacqueline Smith bade farewell to staff and pupils on Friday after 33 years at the school.

After training at Jordanhill College, Mrs Smith worked at Kirkland High for two years before starting her long career at Inverkeithing. 

She is the first to admit that she has seen a few changes over the years.

“When you are a modern studies teacher, everything changes anyway,” she said.

“I was just talking to my pupils about Hiroshima and the Cold War and was explaining that we used to do like air raid drills. So many things have changed.

“A lot of the things I have taught are now history like South Africa and the Berlin Wall so I am used to these kind of changes.”

As well as situations around the world changing, Mrs Smith said she has also seen lots of differences in teaching over the years.

“Teaching is never boring – it is the best job in the world,” she said. “The first year I started teaching it was the year they abolished the belt in Scottish education. 

“The main change is the relationship between pupils and teachers which is just wonderful. I have some fabulous pupils.”

As modern studies teacher, Mrs Smith has taken thousands of pupils to the Scottish Parliament and the Houses of Parliament in London.

In honour of this, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alex Rowley popped into the school last week and presented her with a pen to mark her retiral.