Oh as I mentioned a little earlier the Australian Catholic University's latest survey of Australia's Principles. It sounds a dire warning, with school leaders across the nation reporting worsening levels of anxiety and depression as they continue to face levels of physical violence and threats and bullying. Now, despite the spike in violence and the toll of mental health and well being, the survey found school leaders showed surprisingly high levels of job satisfaction and their work commitment remained high. The Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and well Being Survey, it's compiled by the ACU's Institute of Positive Psychology and Education. Now in the Northern Territory, it found that seventy one percent of principles said they'd been subject to threats of physical violence, sixty point five percent to being subject of gossip or slander. Now joining me on the line is the president of the Northern Territory Principles Association, Carolyn Edwards.

Oh as I mentioned a little earlier the Australian Catholic University's latest survey of Australia's Principles. It sounds a dire warning, with school leaders across the nation reporting worsening levels of anxiety and depression as they continue to face levels of physical violence and threats and bullying. Now, despite the spike in violence and the toll of mental health and well being, the survey found school leaders showed surprisingly high levels of job satisfaction and their work commitment remained high. The Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and well Being Survey, it's compiled by the ACU's Institute of Positive Psychology and Education. Now in the Northern Territory, it found that seventy one percent of principles said they'd been subject to threats of physical violence, sixty point five percent to being subject of gossip or slander. Now joining me on the line is the president of the Northern Territory Principles Association, Carolyn Edwards.

Good morning to you, Carolyn.

Good morning to you, Carolyn.

Good morning, how are you? Yeah?

Good morning, how are you? Yeah?

Really good?

Really good?

Lovely to have you on the show. Carolyn, do you know how many Northern.

Lovely to have you on the show. Carolyn, do you know how many Northern.

Territory Principles took.

Territory Principles took.

Part in the annual survey or is it something that our principles tend to be part of.

Part in the annual survey or is it something that our principles tend to be part of.

I don't know the number. That is something that's not disclosed, but Northern Territory Principles have participate in the survey for over a decade now, so it's a longitudinal study and the study is Australia White the survey.

I don't know the number. That is something that's not disclosed, but Northern Territory Principles have participate in the survey for over a decade now, so it's a longitudinal study and the study is Australia White the survey.

Yeah, that's I think that's really interesting and I think it's a really good thing if it happens over a long period of time because you can sort of look at some of the trends and changes that we might be experiencing across Australia, but also here in the NT, Carolyn, what are our school principles saying to you?

Yeah, that's I think that's really interesting and I think it's a really good thing if it happens over a long period of time because you can sort of look at some of the trends and changes that we might be experiencing across Australia, but also here in the NT, Carolyn, what are our school principles saying to you?

What they're saying is that it's a combination of different factors that are impacting on their work. Some of it is the administrative burden, some of it is parents and community members coming to schools and threatening principles, but principals are also protecting their teachers from and their administration staff. And then you've got you know, social media is impacting on everything that they do. So it's a really complex situation of lots of different trigger points.

What they're saying is that it's a combination of different factors that are impacting on their work. Some of it is the administrative burden, some of it is parents and community members coming to schools and threatening principles, but principals are also protecting their teachers from and their administration staff. And then you've got you know, social media is impacting on everything that they do. So it's a really complex situation of lots of different trigger points.

And Carolyn, I don't think anybody could argue that the role the job of a school principle is an incredibly tough one. You know, there would be so much to juggle now. In terms of some of those findings related to the Northern Territory, seventy one percent of principles said they'd been subject to threats of physical violence, sixty point five have been subject of gossip or sla What kind of situations are our principals telling you that they have been subjected to.

And Carolyn, I don't think anybody could argue that the role the job of a school principle is an incredibly tough one. You know, there would be so much to juggle now. In terms of some of those findings related to the Northern Territory, seventy one percent of principles said they'd been subject to threats of physical violence, sixty point five have been subject of gossip or sla What kind of situations are our principals telling you that they have been subjected to.

Well, it's I don't hear every single principal story. And I think what this survey does is it gives our principal a sense of being anonymous in reflecting truly how they're feeling. But it often is it's a combination, like I said before, of parents and community members not understanding exactly what's happening in the school with their child or their children. And it's also a lot worse when our principals are remote and very remote schools, because they could only be themselves and another teacher, and it depends on what's happening in the community, and schools are remote areas, they've become the half of the community so they're impacted even more on what's happening.

Well, it's I don't hear every single principal story. And I think what this survey does is it gives our principal a sense of being anonymous in reflecting truly how they're feeling. But it often is it's a combination, like I said before, of parents and community members not understanding exactly what's happening in the school with their child or their children. And it's also a lot worse when our principals are remote and very remote schools, because they could only be themselves and another teacher, and it depends on what's happening in the community, and schools are remote areas, they've become the half of the community so they're impacted even more on what's happening.

Carolyn, what would you say is some of the most important findings in the survey which do need to be highlighted. As you said, this has been going for more than ten years, now, what do you think are some of the more important points for this year.

Carolyn, what would you say is some of the most important findings in the survey which do need to be highlighted. As you said, this has been going for more than ten years, now, what do you think are some of the more important points for this year.

I'll think what the survey the researchership said is that there has to be a wrap around a solution from government and departments, not just the Northern Territory but Australia wide because if you look at the complexity of the community that we're living in that impacts on school So it's about saying what is it that our government and our departments can do, and federal government what is it they can do to wrap around and support our schools. Now, the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training have listened very closely and have taken on the feedback that Principles are having an increasing load of administrative burden. So that's been really proactive from the start of this year taking on feedback and there's put in place strategies and mechanisms that they're going to work with Principles to try and reduce the administrative burden and that will go a long way in making principles go have a deep breath and then move on to what's happening with they're with the teaching and learning that happens in their skill.

I'll think what the survey the researchership said is that there has to be a wrap around a solution from government and departments, not just the Northern Territory but Australia wide because if you look at the complexity of the community that we're living in that impacts on school So it's about saying what is it that our government and our departments can do, and federal government what is it they can do to wrap around and support our schools. Now, the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training have listened very closely and have taken on the feedback that Principles are having an increasing load of administrative burden. So that's been really proactive from the start of this year taking on feedback and there's put in place strategies and mechanisms that they're going to work with Principles to try and reduce the administrative burden and that will go a long way in making principles go have a deep breath and then move on to what's happening with they're with the teaching and learning that happens in their skill.

It does seem like not only principles, but right across the board with our teachers. You know, when you look at the level of work, a lot of you know, like a lot of what I hear and I do have friends that are teachers, and a lot of what you see even as a parent is you know, gone of the days where you go into the classroom and you're teaching for the day, and you know then you're doing your prep work in the afternoon or whatever for the following day.

It does seem like not only principles, but right across the board with our teachers. You know, when you look at the level of work, a lot of you know, like a lot of what I hear and I do have friends that are teachers, and a lot of what you see even as a parent is you know, gone of the days where you go into the classroom and you're teaching for the day, and you know then you're doing your prep work in the afternoon or whatever for the following day.

It's now like, you know, there is a lot of other.

It's now like, you know, there is a lot of other.

Sort of you know, administrative work that needs to happen as well, and it seems to be really constant.

Sort of you know, administrative work that needs to happen as well, and it seems to be really constant.

It is constant, and as I said, our current Department of Education Training executive staff are completely aware of this and have acknowledged it. And it's about what can we do to work together to move forward. And if we're in a remote school or a very remote school, we're those principles, those teaching principles are also impacted on the teaching shortage. There's a nationwide shortage of teachers. So when you're a teaching principal and you're doing your administration work, but you're also teaching, and a lot of urban principles are also on class because there's not enough teachers that that can be employed.

It is constant, and as I said, our current Department of Education Training executive staff are completely aware of this and have acknowledged it. And it's about what can we do to work together to move forward. And if we're in a remote school or a very remote school, we're those principles, those teaching principles are also impacted on the teaching shortage. There's a nationwide shortage of teachers. So when you're a teaching principal and you're doing your administration work, but you're also teaching, and a lot of urban principles are also on class because there's not enough teachers that that can be employed.

So Carolyn, I do want to ask.

So Carolyn, I do want to ask.

I mean, one of the really concerning statistics to come out of this survey for the Northern Territory is seventy three point seven percent of respondents of our principles had said that they had been on the receiving end of physical violence. I mean, that is quite astonishing to me when you think seventy three percent you're going to school to you know, to well, to run the school, to teach children, to educate kids, and your seventy three percent are saying that they've been physically assaulted.

I mean, one of the really concerning statistics to come out of this survey for the Northern Territory is seventy three point seven percent of respondents of our principles had said that they had been on the receiving end of physical violence. I mean, that is quite astonishing to me when you think seventy three percent you're going to school to you know, to well, to run the school, to teach children, to educate kids, and your seventy three percent are saying that they've been physically assaulted.

And you know, our the Northern Chatory Prints Association absolutely agrees that the rising levels of aggression from parents astydents is completely unacceptable and it should not become part of the job for a principle or a teacher. So it's about how are we going to work with our government to go this is not acceptable. And I'm really pleased that the number of principals who were honest in the survey have reflected this high level because that then our government and our department are looking at that going Okay, what is it that we can do proactively to stop that happening because it is unacceptable.

And you know, our the Northern Chatory Prints Association absolutely agrees that the rising levels of aggression from parents astydents is completely unacceptable and it should not become part of the job for a principle or a teacher. So it's about how are we going to work with our government to go this is not acceptable. And I'm really pleased that the number of principals who were honest in the survey have reflected this high level because that then our government and our department are looking at that going Okay, what is it that we can do proactively to stop that happening because it is unacceptable.

Yeah, you spot on.

Yeah, you spot on.

Now you spoke about this before in terms of the rising levels of administration and other work that needs to be done. But one of the things I want to touch on is across Australia. The report says an alarming forty five percent of school principles had triggered a red flag email in twenty twenty four, signaling risk of self harm, occupational health problems, or serious impact on.

Now you spoke about this before in terms of the rising levels of administration and other work that needs to be done. But one of the things I want to touch on is across Australia. The report says an alarming forty five percent of school principles had triggered a red flag email in twenty twenty four, signaling risk of self harm, occupational health problems, or serious impact on.

Their quality of life.

Their quality of life.

Why do you think that that is happening at such an alarming rate?

Why do you think that that is happening at such an alarming rate?

As I said another four, it's the complexity of a skill and a principal's job, and I think principles are just it's another layer, another layer, and another layer. And and it's also that they need you need from you know, you need from downtime, you need some assistance, you need wrap around support. So you know, for our association is absolutely concerning.

As I said another four, it's the complexity of a skill and a principal's job, and I think principles are just it's another layer, another layer, and another layer. And and it's also that they need you need from you know, you need from downtime, you need some assistance, you need wrap around support. So you know, for our association is absolutely concerning.

Yeah, Carolyn for.

Yeah, Carolyn for.

The for the Association for the Northern Territory Principals Association. Where to from here with this survey? I know that sometimes surveys come out, you know. We have already had a response from the Education Department, which I think is a really good thing.

The for the Association for the Northern Territory Principals Association. Where to from here with this survey? I know that sometimes surveys come out, you know. We have already had a response from the Education Department, which I think is a really good thing.

But where to from here?

But where to from here?

And I think the first thing is that it's the knowledging that nationwide this is a concern for all of our skills and all of our educators, especially our principles. And the next bit is and we've already started because this data is from last year and our current department and current government are working on proactives, strategies to be put in place. Now there's going to be a lag time and that's our concern from an association that we need to be moving on this faster and not waiting for another another term another term. So we've association and the department is we're in partnership in regards to this, and we need to be looking after our wellbeing of our principles because once you do that, it then flows onto the well being of our teaching staff and then it goes in to our students and you were right at the start that principals who feel supporters have left stress. Yes, I think that was a positive in the survey this year.

And I think the first thing is that it's the knowledging that nationwide this is a concern for all of our skills and all of our educators, especially our principles. And the next bit is and we've already started because this data is from last year and our current department and current government are working on proactives, strategies to be put in place. Now there's going to be a lag time and that's our concern from an association that we need to be moving on this faster and not waiting for another another term another term. So we've association and the department is we're in partnership in regards to this, and we need to be looking after our wellbeing of our principles because once you do that, it then flows onto the well being of our teaching staff and then it goes in to our students and you were right at the start that principals who feel supporters have left stress. Yes, I think that was a positive in the survey this year.

Well, Carolyn, I really appreciate your time this morning.

Well, Carolyn, I really appreciate your time this morning.

INT Principals Association President Carolyn Edwards, thank you so much for joining me on the show.

INT Principals Association President Carolyn Edwards, thank you so much for joining me on the show.

Greatly appreciated.

Greatly appreciated.

Thank you Katie for the opportunity to talk.

Thank you Katie for the opportunity to talk.

Thank you, thanks so much for your time.

Thank you, thanks so much for your time.