The Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA) is sounding the alarm on the escalating crisis in school leadership following the release of the Australian Catholic University (ACU) Principals’ Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey.
The findings highlight an unsustainable toll on the mental health and wellbeing of principals across Australia, with alarming increases in violence, workload pressures, and a significant number of principals intending to leave the profession.
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The release of this report comes just days after ASPA hosted the 2025 National Education Summit in Canberra, where school leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders gathered to address the challenges facing Australia’s education system. The Summit emphasized the urgent need for systemic reforms, many of which align with the key recommendations outlined in the ACU survey.
Survey highlights a leadership crisis
The ACU survey reveals that:
53 percent of principals signaled their intention to quit, jumping to 82.3 percent for those with low job satisfaction.
49.6 percent experienced physical violence, while 54.5 percent faced threats of violence, with students responsible for 80.4 percent of these threats.
87.6 percent reported cyberbullying by parents or caregivers, showing a worrying trend in community behavior.
45 percent of principals triggered a “red flag” alert for risks of self-harm, occupational health issues, or serious impacts on quality of life.
ASPA said these findings reflect the growing strain on school leaders, compounded by heavy workloads, increasing administrative burdens, and worsening mental health challenges.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare, who addressed the ASPA Summit last week, acknowledged the critical role of principals in navigating these challenges. He praised their dedication despite adversity and emphasised the government’s commitment to improving conditions, stating:
“If we get the investment right, we can build a better and fairer country where every child, regardless of their background, has access to quality education.“
Minister Clare also highlighted the importance of funding reforms tied to wellbeing programs, mental health support, and innovative school models, such as full-service schools piloted in Western Australia. He reaffirmed the need for collaboration between governments, stakeholders, and educators to ensure sustainable change.
ASPA’s call to action
ASPA President, Andy Mison, reiterated the urgency of addressing the systemic issues raised in both the ACU survey and ASPA’s 2025 Policy Briefing.
“The ACU survey confirms what ASPA has been advocating for years: principals are at breaking point. Every threat, every act of violence, every instance of burnout jeopardises the stability of our schools and the futures of our students. This cannot continue,” Mr Mison said.
ASPA calls for the following critical actions:
Nationally funded principal wellbeing strategy:
Establish a comprehensive, federally funded strategy to address principal wellbeing, including mental health support, stress management training, and access to professional supervision programs.
Workload reduction and administrative support:
Reduce administrative burdens through fit-for-purpose staffing arrangements, streamlined reporting processes, and increased resourcing for HR, WH&S, and business management roles in schools.
Strengthened authority for school safety:
Grant principals the authority to restrict access to individuals exhibiting unsafe or violent behavior and launch public awareness campaigns to promote respect for educators.
Equitable funding and accountability:
Ensure all schools receive 100 percent of the School Resourcing Standard (SRS) funding, with a focus on addressing disadvantage and improving resource allocation through reforms to ICSEA measures.
Innovative leadership models:
Explore alternate models such as co-principalship, funded sabbaticals, and flexible work arrangements to create more sustainable leadership roles.
Bipartisan support for long-term education reform:
Advocate for a collaborative, bipartisan approach to education policy that prioritises principal wellbeing, equitable funding, and student outcomes.
The path forward
The ASPA Summit showcased numerous innovative ideas and policy recommendations designed to address the challenges facing school leaders. The National Principal Reference Group, praised by Minister Clare, has been a critical step forward in fostering collaboration and ensuring the voices of school leaders are heard in shaping national policy.
“We cannot let these findings be just another report that gathers dust. The wellbeing of our principals is the foundation of a strong education system. The time to act is now,” Mr Mison said.
ASPA urges all political parties and stakeholders to prioritise principal wellbeing and education reform in the upcoming federal election to ensure a sustainable future for Australian schools.
