BBC news presenter Bernadette Kearney becomes school teacher

Dec 10 2009 by Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail

ONE of the faces of BBC TV in the Midlands now has found herself with a classroom audience – after making a dramatic career change to become a school teacher.

Bernadette Kearney has turned her back on the cameras after 22 years working as a journalist and news presenter for the Beeb with Midlands Today.

But after her job took her into a number of schools around the region, Bernadette, who celebrates her 44th birthday on Boxing Day, decided that she wanted a change of profession and became a teacher.

Bernadette has now become Mrs Eakin to pupils at St Mary’s Girls School in Worcester, where she has joined the classroom staff as a newly- qualified teacher.

She has happily reverted to her married name after becoming head of Religious Education at the 11-19 school. And the final act of her career change took place yesterday when the mother-of-two graduated at St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham city centre after completing the postgraduate certificate in education course which qualified her to be a teacher.

St Chad’s was chosen for the degree ceremony because Bernadette’s 18-month distance learning course in religious education was validated by Maryvale Institute, a Catholic college at New Oscott specialising in divinity, theology, philosophy and RE.

The former presenter, who is married to BBC Coventry/Warwickshire sports journalist Clive Eakin, said: “Although I loved journalism, I wondered if I should be trying something different after 22 years doing the same job.

“Through my career you end up going into schools and mentoring pupils, and I also piloted School Report for Midlands Today which involved around six schools in the region.

“I enjoyed that so much, travelling around schools for six weeks, and that inspired me and gave me confidence to consider such a career change.”

Bernadette, who has a son Matthew, aged 13, and daughter Grace, nine, paid tribute to the BBC for allowing her to do a required bridging course in theology, as well as her main studies, while still at work.

“I still worked for the BBC at the time, doing my job in the day and studying at night. They were really excellent,” she added.

“My graduation is the crowning moment in an ambition that I have had for about three years.

“Journalists and teachers are very similar in that they are breaking down complex subjects and presenting them to a wider audience.”