Principal Autonomy and System Reform in Victoria

Members across Victoria are increasingly expressing concern that they are under growing pressure, with many reporting that system and policy changes are leaving them feeling micromanaged and undervalued. Recent reforms, while often well-intentioned, have introduced a complex web of implementation challenges, compliance requirements, accountability measures, and reporting obligations that significantly reduce principals’ autonomy.

Research by the Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey has consistently shown that administrative burden and reduced autonomy are key stress factors for principals (Riley et al., 2022).  In Victoria, this is exacerbated by multiple concurrent reforms including curriculum updates, mental health, wellbeing and disability inclusion initiatives, school review processes and new performance measures with subsequent system ‘supports.’

What’s often missing from these reforms is trust. As Dr Amanda Heffernan from Monash University points out, principals are educational leaders, not just system managers. Yet policy increasingly positions them as risk mitigators first and foremost (Heffernan, 2019). Instead of being trusted to lead teaching and learning communities, principals are spending disproportionate time on compliance to satisfy departmental audits and checklists.

This experience of micromanagement is not just a personal burden; it impacts whole school communities. When principals are tied up with paperwork, they have less time for instructional leadership, staff mentoring, and student engagement, the very activities that improve educational outcomes.

So what can be done and what actions can be taken? 

The following points are not intended to be exhaustive but rather serve as a starting framework for consideration:

1. Rebuild trust through policy: Future system changes must be done in consultation with principals, respecting their expertise and frontline experience. Giving school leaders a genuine voice early in policy development can lead to smarter, more streamlined approaches that build ownership rather than resistance.

    

2. Invest in leadership support: Dedicated administrative and compliance support within schools would allow principals to refocus on their core mission: leading teaching and learning. 

    

3. Shift the accountability narrative: Moving from a compliance culture to one of professional trust and growth would help reposition principals as partners, not subjects, in system improvement.

    

4. Strategic Delegation:  Effective distribution of leadership responsibilities by principals is a key strategy for managing the growing burden of administrative demands.

Principals are passionate about their role and committed to public education. To retain great leaders and foster thriving school communities, system leaders must rethink how change is designed and delivered. 

Finding the right balance between necessary system accountability and school-level autonomy remains a critical challenge.  Both policymakers and school leaders have important roles to play in creating a more sustainable approach that supports rather than constrains effective school leadership.

References:

• Riley, P. (2022). Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey 2022 Data Report. Australian Catholic University.
• Heffernan, A. (2019). The Principal and the Performance: Governmentality, Accountability and Leadership in Schools. Routledge.