Assistant principal Gael Trevathan, who has been teaching for about 40 years, and Ali Grant, who has been teaching for about 25, will say their farewells to pupils at the special needs school next Tuesday.
''It's going to be really really difficult. I hope I can get through it without crying,'' Ms Trevathan (65) said.
Her job was to work with 18- to 21-year-olds with special needs and help prepare them to enter the community.
Seeing pupils learn life skills such as catching a bus on their own was rewarding and she was just as passionate about teaching now as she was when she started training in 1967.
One of the biggest challenges of working in special education was the perception from some other teachers the job was about looking after pupils as opposed to teaching them.
Ms Grant (59), who worked with special needs children at schools around Dunedin, also enjoyed watching pupils develop.
''I've enjoyed the kids. That's the thing that keeps you here, is being passionate about the children.''
''A lot of the [pupils] have got great senses of humour.''
