The long-term decline in principal health and wellbeing continues – according to a landmark national study, now in its 15th year.
In short:
- A 15-year long national study has confirmed a long-term decline in principal wellbeing.
- Stress, occupational violence and heavy workloads are driving the trend.
- Employers now have all the evidence they need to address principal wellbeing.
Stress, violence and heavy workloads are the primary drivers of the trend, according to the latest Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey of 2,000 school leaders.
The longitudinal study, conducted by the Australian Catholic University (ACU) Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, has unearthed a crisis facing school leaders.
“If nearly half of principals are experiencing physical violence and more than half are facing threats, we must ask ourselves in what other profession would this be tolerated as business as usual?” asked lead investigator and school wellbeing expert, Professor Theresa Dicke.
Years of data tells story
“15 years of data tell a clear story [and] the evidence is unequivocal; Australia cannot strengthen its schools without first strengthening the health, safety and wellbeing of those who lead them,” Professor Dicke said.
“Principals now deal with complex mental health issues, workforce shortages, compliance demands and community tensions.
“Exposure to aggression has become disturbingly normalised.
“Administrative and regulatory requirements have multiplied, and community expectations have intensified and yet, despite everything, principals remain deeply committed to their school communities.
“They report strong purpose and connection to their work.
“That commitment is extraordinary, but it is also masking risk.
“Commitment alone cannot offset structural overload, rising violence and chronic stress,” Professor Dicke said.
Time to move from crisis to action
World-leading educational psychologist and co-chief investigator Professor Herb Marsh said Australian schools must move from crisis management to sustainable reform.
“The power of a 15-year longitudinal study is that we can see real trends, not isolated headlines,” Professor Marsh said.
“That gives policymakers something valuable, evidence about where pressure is building and where reform can make a difference.
“Violence is deeply concerning but it does not define school leadership.
“What defines principals is their commitment to students, staff and community; our responsibility now is to ensure the system supports that commitment.
“For 15 years our data [has shown] the same thing: principals remain deeply committed to their schools.
“That resilience is a national asset, and it is worth protecting,” Professor Marsh said.
Key findings
- Exposure to physical violence surged from 27.3 per cent in 2011 to 47.8 per cent in 2025.
- Threats of violence jumped from 37.9 per cent to 53.7 per cent over the same period.
- Two per cent of principals now report exposure to offensive behaviour, with an estimated annual cost of managing offensive behaviours to the education sector exceeding $200 million.
- On average, principals suffer $25,495 per year in lost productivity based on an analysis of their income, hours worked and time spent dealing with behaviours including physical violence, threats, bullying, cyberbullying and sexual harassment.
- Principals are working an average of 53.9 hours per week – a pattern sustained across the 15 years of data.
- The top three sources of stress were sheer quantity of work, lack of time to focus on teaching and learning and student issues.
- Over half (54.4 per cent) of school leaders are seriously considering leaving their roles.
Report recommendations
The report recommends seven key actions to improve principal health and wellbeing:
1. Address workload and time management
Employers should implement workload reduction strategies, increase support staff and ensure leaders can focus on their core work.
2. Enhance mental health support
Principals should have strengthened access to mental health services and training in wellbeing awareness and resilience, including during pre-service training.
3. Strengthen workplace safety and wellbeing
Schools should have clearer protocols for responding to threats and violence, increased focus on promoting respectful relationships and leaders should be trained in safety management.
4. Support development and career sustainability
Principals require access to peer support networks, structured mentoring, investment in career pathways and renewal strategies for experienced principals such as sabbatical leave. Performance measures should also include a focus on principals’ personal welfare.
5. Targeted interventions for high-risk groups
Additional resources should be allocated to sectors with high psychosocial risks – with tailored interventions developed based on the school environment.
6. Promote autonomy and empowerment
With autonomy frustration high among principals, they need increased decision-making authority and fewer prescriptive system-wide directives from employers.
7. Ongoing collaboration and research
The scope of the current longitudinal study should be expanded and include engagement with more stakeholders.
Time for employer leadership
IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the findings of the longitudinal study were robust and impossible to ignore.
“Employers surely require no further evidence of the challenges facing school leaders,” Mr Burke said.
“The levels of occupational stress and violence, as well as spiralling workloads, are simply unsustainable.
“School leaders can no longer absorb these pressures – it’s time for employers to show leadership on the report recommendations,” he said.
Mr Burke said workload pressures and a lack of autonomy were impacting staff from the top down in schools.
“Principals have rightly identified an inability to focus on their core work, due to any range of ‘other’ tasks directed by employers,” he said.
“Teachers also face similar frustrations in being unable to exercise autonomy and focus on their core work.
“Schools require structural change from the top down to allow passionate principals, teachers and school support staff to focus on the task that matters most: providing quality education to all students,” Mr Burke said.
Access the full Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey report via the ACU website.
