Victorian Catholic education member survey: Principals and deputy principals
Most deputy principals and principals work significant overtime, during both term and holidays, and the majority believe their current remuneration doesn’t reflect the extra hours they work.
They seek salaries that match those in other states, improved wellbeing support, and greater administrative assistance to manage increasing workload demands.
Many expressed frustration with the lack of support and resourcing provided by employers during implementation of the current Agreement – as a result of this failure, the new limits on teacher workloads ended up increasing leadership workloads.
School leaders on fixed-term contracts are understandably concerned about job security, as they face uncertainty about their futures. And principal wellbeing is at crisis point. Survey results reflect the national findings: Principals are our most likely cohort to have had their health impacted at work (90%), primarily due to excessive workload (72%), parent behaviour (68%), traumatic events (44%), and violence/aggression (31%).
The IEU is stepping up efforts to ensure these roles are safe, secure, and professionally rewarding.
Read more results from our recent member survey:
Principals
Workload: All principals report working additional hours: 81% work more than 11 extra hours per week during term, and 66% do so during school holidays.
Pay: 91% say their pay does not fairly reflect their additional workload and 68% want salary increases in line with other states.
Job security: 59% of principals prioritise secure employment opportunities in Catholic education after their principalship.
Resourcing: 57% prioritise better wellbeing services; 50% want more administrative support.
Implementation support: Just 31% say their school was adequately resourced to implement the current Agreement.
Deputy Principals
Time: 72% say they have the resources to perform their duties, but only 38% say they have enough time to do so properly.
Pay: 81% say their pay does not fairly compensate for additional hours worked; 40% prioritise salary increases in line with other states.
Workload: All deputy principals report working additional hours: 81% work more than 11 extra hours per week during term, and 63% do so during school holidays.
Job security: 57% call for longer contracts.
Resourcing: 65% are most concerned about better wellbeing services; 49% want more administrative support.
Higher duties allowance: 63% believe it should be payable for periods shorter than 10 consecutive days, as is currently the case.
Survey quotes
Workload, burnout, and wellbeing
‘The workload is unmanageable. I am constantly working, and it is very difficult to switch off. I am concerned that eventually it will affect my mental health and wellbeing.’
‘My wellbeing suffers regularly due to stress. I feel like I can’t take a day off as I can’t be replaced. There is limited support for students with additional needs and not enough flexibility for principals to make decisions that are in the interests of the school – especially for students who are violent. Compliance requirements are taking away from other professional learning and not impacting positively on students.’
‘The demands from staff, students, and families have increased substantially. The expectations/requirements on principals in terms of school management and compliance have also increased considerably.’
‘The health and wellbeing of primary principals is concerning. Too many administrative tasks, not enough time and human resourcing to support principals to lead healthy lifestyles.’
‘It is not sustainable. There is no work-life balance. In a small school, you are all things.’
Staffing, job security, resourcing, and role expectations
‘We have become glorified managers expected to be experts in everything because we are not funded well enough to have experts doing things for us. No job security for principals near the end of their contracts like there is for staff.’
‘I am the only staff member without job security. I do not attract TIL and feel that the role is more complex and challenging than ever before.’
‘We need to look at the role of Deputy Principals in schools with less than 400 students. These schools tend to only have one DP, who covers a huge range of tasks with less than adequate compensation or ability to increment with the current pay scale.’
Time in lieu (TIL)
‘I fully agree with the principles behind TIL, but they are challenging to put into practice.’
‘Give us funding and admin support for TIL. Include Principals and Deputies in TIL if we are going to have it. TIL should be paid.’
‘I am all for staff being compensated for extra hours; however, TIL has significantly added to my workload.’
Pay and the employer
‘The IEU needs to fight hard this campaign to ensure we get pay increases for principals who have taken on additional workloads and responsibilities since the governance changes to MACS.’
‘MACS is full of people on big salaries and great working conditions who are totally removed from the realities of principals' roles and responsibilities. This money comes from the funding to our schools and should be used to improve the conditions of our hardworking principal colleagues who are overworked and underpaid for their enormous efforts to keep their school communities going.’
