In 2022, WorkSafe ACT found an “untenable”, violent and unsafe situation at Calwell High School. Photo: Calwell High School.
ACT school principals were facing continuing threats of violence, cyber bullying and sexual harassment, according to a national report warning that a generation of school leaders may be lost because of a hostile work environment.
The Australian Catholic University’s latest Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey reports worsening levels of anxiety and depression among school leaders as they continue to face high levels of physical violence, threats and bullying.
The good news is that ACT principals had the lowest intent to leave the profession at 43.6 per cent, while Queensland had the highest at 57.6 per cent.
But that is still a high figure and reflects the finding of three-quarters of ACT principals having experienced threats of violence, almost 70 per cent actual violence and more than a third had been bullied.
Other adverse experiences include conflicts and quarrels (61.5%) and gossip and slander (56.4%), while a quarter had been bullied or had their reputation sullied online.
One in 20 reported being sexually harassed.
The report found that the biggest concerns for principals remained the excessive workload and not having enough time to devote to teaching and learning.
An alarming 45 per cent of school principals triggered a “red flag” email in 2024, signalling a risk of self-harm, occupational health problems, or serious impact on their quality of life.
World-leading educational psychologist and co-chief investigator Professor Herb Marsh, who has been involved with the report since 2015, said that Australia risked losing an entire generation of school leaders without urgent reforms.
“Workload, violence, and mental health challenges continue to escalate,” Professor Marsh said. “However, despite this adversity, school leaders have maintained high levels of resilience and commitment; their professional dedication is to be applauded”
Associate Professor Paul Kidson warned that the success of policies like the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement relied on continued support across all jurisdictions.
“This latest report unambiguously highlights that the satisfaction principals feel in their job must be front and centre of any strategies to improve conditions for school leaders and, in turn, the teachers, education support staff, and students who rely on them,” he said.
ACT Principals Association president Simon Vaughan said most people would not expect to be assaulted in their workplace, but that was what principals were facing.
“It’s not random people driving here from other states to come and beat up principals in car parks,” he said.
“It’s actually parents and students perpetrating the violence.
“We are about 10 times the national average at risk, and I’m going to say that on behalf of colleagues in nursing, paramedics and the police force. I’m sure the statistics there are pretty equivalent.”
Mr Vaughan added that the other concerning trend was an increase in online gossiping and slander, such as calling principals’ heritage into question or attacking their reputation, amplified by others polarising the community.
“The most alarming thing for me actually is we seem to be sort of attacking the people who are part of our caring professions,” he said.
He said principals faced an increasing workload in an era of raised community expectations, expanded curricula and school autonomy, something that the current reforms under way in the ACT were addressing, as well as the Education Directorate looking at how best to support principals.
“Something we will need to resolve is this idea of principal autonomy and what we ultimately are responsible for as opposed to what is more administrative and what the directorate is responsible for,” Mr Vaughan said.
“We’ve been working with the Minister, we’re working with the Directorate, there’s been a collaborative approach to designing things that are going to help.”
Mr Vaughan said more respectful relationships with parents were not only needed but would also result in better outcomes for their children, who were living in very uncertain and anxiety-ridden times.
The report calls for government and employers to ease heavy workloads as the number one source of stress by providing autonomy, resources, support and cutting administrative burdens.
It says wellbeing support for school leaders needs to be prioritised, and alternative school leadership models such as co-principalship should be considered.
But government and employers needed to confront inappropriate behaviour from parents/caregivers towards leaders and staff by implementing mechanisms such as the Victorian School Community Safety Order, which can bar people from entering school grounds and restrain them from approaching or contacting staff.
Original Article published by Ian Bushnell on Riotact.
