A North-East education leader is to retire at the end of the academic year.

Peter Shuker has been principal and chief executive of Darlington College of Technology for 14 years.

He announced his decision, which will take effect in July 2001, to the college's corporation board this week.

Mr Shuker's retirement brings to an end a 38-year career in further education, during which he has been at the forefront of national and international developments.

He has been heavily involved in the introduction of information technology systems for education and computer-based access for learning.

He has taken the college, in Cleveland Avenue, Darlington, from a cash crisis in 1991, through a £3m redevelopment in the mid-1990s and into record-breaking recruitment of students.

He played a crucial part in establishing the Northern Colleges Network, and recently retired as founder chairman of the National Information and Learning Technologies Association after ten years.

Most recently, he initiated the UK's top on-line learning centre, at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

Mr Shuker showed his dedication to college life yesterday, continuing his work despite yesterday's announcement and overseeing the annual higher awards ceremony, where more than 100 students were honoured.

He declined to comment on his retirement decision.

Alasdair MacConachie, chairman of the college corporation board, praised Mr Shuker's efforts, taking the college from strength to strength.

He said: "Peter has led the college in an exemplary fashion and will be a hard act to follow."

Mr Shuker started his employment career as an apprentice structural draughtsman. He then became a lecturer at Newcastle and Huddersfield College of Education.

In his career, he has also been a senior manager at Cleveland Technical College and Leeds College of Building.

Mr Shuker was principal at the latter for five years.

Middlesbrough-born Mr Shuker was educated at Hugh Bell School, in the town, before attending Bradford University, where he studied traffic engineering and planning.

He lives in Darlington and is married to Veronica.

The couple have two children, Edward and Helen, who are both studying at university.