An increasing number of Tasmanian state school principals are contacting the peak state school organisation anonymously to express their frustrations at the stress they are working under.
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Tasmanian Association of State Schools Organisations president Lisa Gillard said a recent survey conducted by the education union on the workloads of state school principals and teachers provided hard evidence of previously anecdotal staff stress levels. She said the organisation had “almost never” had principals contacting them in such a way before.
Mrs Gillard said that parents are relatively unaware of the level of stress their school’s teachers and principals are under, and are often frustrated at perceived lack of classroom progress.
An Education Department spokesperson said there were 62 stress-related workers compensation claims lodged in the year 2016-2017.
In the year 2015-2016, there were 39 stress-related claims made, and 56 claims the year before.
The spokesperson said the department had a range of workplace health and safety programs that including managing mental health, as well as an employee assistance program.
The education union’s survey’s findings are backed up by new research conducted into the roles of primary school principals nationally by the Australian Primary Principals Association, which found the health and wellbeing of primary principals was “declining”.
Almost 96 per cent of principals surveyed said government accountability requirements were “an increasing proportion” of their workload.
“They haven’t gone through the process of becoming a principal just to be doing admin,” Mrs Gillard said. “They’re there to be leaders of their school.”
