Fears mount for principals

Survey reveals mental health issues

SCHOOL principals are more likely to suffer stress, sleeping problems and depression than the average Aussie.

A survey of almost 3000 principals and their deputies has found one in five reported low scores on quality of life.

The 2017 Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey also found about one in four Australian principals worked upwards of 61 to 65 hours a week.

Principals were more likely than the general public to have difficulty sleeping (2.2 times higher), experience stress (1.7 times higher), burnout (1.6 times higher) and depression (1.3 times higher).

Stress was often related to the quantity of work, lack of time to focus on teaching and learning and a trend in mental health issues suffered by teaching staff and students.

Almost 3 per cent of respondents reported feelings of self-harm sometimes, often or all the time.

Australian Catholic University’s associate professor of educational leadership Philip Riley oversaw the project and said he was most concerned over principals’ work hours.

“Principals spend more and more time doing administrative work and less and less time leading, teaching and learning which is the thing they think they should be doing,” Prof Riley said.

“They find it very stressful. (Admistrative work) is the most stressful part of their job as they are not able to do any real work.”

From July 2016-17, thirteen counts of public nuisance and four disorderly and offensive conduct offences were recorded on Geelong school grounds.

Prof Riley said “argy bargies” between parents and principals often occurred during NAPLAN time — with parents desperate to ensure their children have teachers whose classes “score well” in the tests., with violence occurring across schools in the government, Catholic and independent sectors.

“(It is) increasing year on year and is very worrying. I think it’s much bigger than just schools, other frontline workers are all reporting increased levels of violence so we need a national all of government response,” Prof Riley said.

The annual survey was launched in 2011 amid growing concern over principals’ health, wellbeing and safety.

Half of the nation’s 10,000 principals have taken part in the survey during the past seven years.

President of the Victorian Principals Association for primary schools Anne-Maree Kliman said she had been assaulted by a parent, but was hopeful a new well-being strategy for principals would alleviate stress.

“For the first time we will have a place that we can ring (if we are assaulted). There will be a point of call.”