An Italian substitute teacher managed to get a permanent job after 25 years plugging gaps - but quit because she'd reached retirement age.
Magda B, 68, became eligible to teach in 1974 and achieved a key goal in 1982: a place on the rolls where substitutes build up points towards getting a steady job.
She recently passed the last hurdle, a practical teaching test, and received a technical education post at a middle school in Genoa.
At the time, she was two months shy of qualifying for her pension.
Magda told local paper IL Secolo XIX she was not disappointed at having to turn down the post before she'd got started.
''I'm looking forward to my retirement, especially after all these years of stopgap jobs all over the place''.
''I might go back to it in a while, helping kids with learning difficulties perhaps. But first I'm going to have a nice long rest''.
