Stress taking toll on local principals (+video)

Grant Henderson felt a weight lift off his shoulders the moment he stepped down as principal of a Rotorua school.

"I didn't know it was there before and it is only now, five months after quitting, that I can say the stress and pressures of the job were contributors to my decision to leave," the former Ngakuru School principal told the Rotorua Daily Post.

"Stress is a fact of life but it is a killer. I was lucky to be able to recognise some of those signs and make a change for the sake of my wellbeing."

Results released recently from a survey of 574 New Zealand school leaders show many are struggling with the "sheer quantity of work" and the lack of time to focus on teaching and learning.

Nearly three in four principals work more than 50 hours a week, while many are also stressed, not sleeping, burnt out and struggling to cope, the survey found.

Despite the personal cost, the survey also found leaders were "generally positive about their job and report higher job satisfaction than the population".

The New Zealand Primary School Principals' Occupational Health and Wellbeing Survey was conducted by Australian Catholic University and commissioned by primary schools union NZEI Te Riu Roa.

Mr Henderson, also the former Rotorua Principals' Association president, said the results had not surprised him.

"It's not just a 50-hour a week job, it can absorb all your time, affect your quality of life. In the end, the monetary remuneration is not worth it. If you lose your essence of character, all the money in the world cannot compensate for that.

"What is of concern is these people are dealing with our taonga - our children. If there is no work-life balance, that relationship can implode.

"As long as principals can find the time in their day to be with the kids that will get rid of 90 per cent of the stress. The kids are why we do this. If a principal doesn't have the time to do that then I would be worried."

Mr Henderson said the stress of the job was discouraging young teachers from taking up leadership positions.

"Twenty years ago you became a teacher with the goal of one day becoming a principal. That is now changing and we are seeing less people wanting to take up the role."

But he said he had not been put off the idea of becoming a principal again in the future.

New Rotorua Principals' Association president, Rotokawa School principal Briar Stewart, said the findings painted an accurate picture of the job.

"You feel the stresses in a daily way. A principal's role can span from solving a problem with the school pool and teaching in the classroom right through to strategic planning to raise achievement.

Rotokawa School principal Briar Stewart.

"You do the job because you are passionate about kids, but it can be quite lonely and isolating because you are the only one to see the full picture. That is a weight for only you to bear."

Ms Stewart said it could be tough to keep staff positive.

"If there is a problem in society, it is often put on schools to fix it. On top of that, teachers are told they are not doing a good enough job around things like student achievement.

"It can be a challenge getting staff to stay positive but we are looking for answers and solutions and we are doing the best we can."

Ms Stewart said taking up a principal's job was a choice an educator had to make, accepting the reality it carried a weight of responsibility.

"As long as it continues to make you happy, then that's okay. Once it stops making you happy, that's when you need to walk away."

Glenholme Primary School principal Nancy MacFarlane said the job "is what it is".

"The work and commitment is daunting but I am a hard worker and I make sure I surround myself with hard workers who are always striving to achieve.

"I have accepted what comes with the role and I do enjoy it but I am also lucky to have strong family support."

Glenholme Primary School principal Nancy MacFarlane.

Ministry of Education head of early learning and student achievement Karl Le Quesne said the ministry was looking closely at the study's findings and recommendations.

"Primary principals in New Zealand overall do a very good job and we welcome the survey findings that primary principals and deputies are generally positive about their job and report high job satisfaction.

"We meet regularly with the NZEI and look forward to discussing the findings with them - including how to reduce or manage paperwork."

He said a number of recent changes in the education system supported the report's aims.

"Professional development has been streamlined so it is more responsive to the needs of schools. And more than half of schools have now formed themselves into groups of schools, called Communities of Learning, as part of the Investing in Educational Success initiative.

"We are already seeing stronger collaboration between schools where principals are working to address issues of this kind by building professional support networks.

"There has been a significant increase in support this year for principals.

"Principals in Communities of Learning are now able to have access to an educational expert who can act as a support, mentor or adviser. And we're offering support to first time principals with 20 full time mentors available across the country."

Survey findings of school leaders:
72 per cent work more than 51 hours per week.
Greatest source of stress is sheer quantity of work and lack of time to focus on learning.
Work-family conflicts 2.2 times the rate of the general population.
Burnout 1.7 times the rate of the general population.
Stress 1.8 times the rate of the general population.
Sleeping troubles 2.4 times the rate of the general population.