BLACKBURN College principal Sheena Ewing last night announced her retirement after 13 years service.

But she deflected attention from herself at the annual graduation and insisted: "Celebrating achievement is what education is all about."

At the King George's Hall ceremony former Bishop of Blackburn Alan Chesters was also given an honorary fellowship of the college - the first time such an accolade has been made.

Hundreds of students, pupils and guests gathered for the presentation of award certificates.

Mrs Ewing has been principal at Blackburn College since 1997 when she took over from John Bolton. She was previously vice-principal, a role she took over in 1991.

She praised the college for improving participation, with record numbers of young people joining schemes and higher education programmes.

The introduction of Freshstart, which enables hundreds of adults to improve their basic skills, and the improvement of performance, were also singled out for celebration.

She said: "This year has been very successful of the college. It has provided a sound basis for continued success in 2003 to 2004.

"Our greatest difficulty lay in changes to our funding and the changing emphasis on full-time and basic skills provision which for a large general FE college requires us to review our curriculum whilst ensuring that we protect our key values and ethos which are a commitment to widening participation and choice and helping to ensure social and community cohesion.

"It is my last HE awards ceremony. I am retiring at the end of the academic year. One of the many things I will miss is this evening. To help learners achieve and to celebrate their achievement with them and their families and friends is what education is all about."

Bishop Chesters was made a fellow of the college as a tribute to his work as member of the college corporation board for 10 years.

"I am very humbled by this honour which was most unexpected," said Bishop Chesters, who was delighted to be visiting the area for the first time since his retirement to Chester.

"I have great affection for the college and I was delighted when I found out. I always thoroughly enjoyed my board meetings and representing the college in front of my contacts in parliament and the wider community.

"I will always consider myself to be a rather good friend of the college and vice versa."

Five students were also acknowledged for their outstanding achievements with £100 awards from a local business. They were:

Rebecca Louise Ashcroft (Association of Accounting Technicians)

Andrea Pratt (Postgraduate Certificate in Education)

Victoria Rigg (Higher National Diploma in Criminology)

Iwona Robinson (Bachelor of Science in Computing with Honours)

Graeme Stephenson (Bachelor of Arts Graphic Design with Honours)

A full list of award winners will appear in tomorrow's Lancashire Evening Telegraph.