Current Issues

In May 2024, SASSLA held a conference with researchers from Monash University to connect with South Australian school leaders for the research project titled Invisible Labour: Principals’ Emotional Labour in Volatile Times. This work is of specific interest to SASSLA as it is directly linked to our employment priority of reducing workload and turnover due […]

Phil and Mardi represented SASSLA as guest speakers at a recent SAPPA workshop. They spoke about ethical decision making to help leaders build their own knowledge and capacity for managing complex issues, identifying potential blind spots and boosting confidence in handling a variety of ethical situations. We have provided the handout Keeping Safe – Protective

SASSLA and SAPPA (South Australian Primary Principals Association)  are collaborating to review the working conditions in school-based preschools. SASSLA has previously undertaken instrumental work with the Preschool Directors Association to achieve additional funding to reduce the teaching time of Preschool Directors in stand-alone preschools. It is now time for SASSLA and SAPPA to jointly review

SASSLA is experiencing a rise in members being investigated for misconduct. It is prudent to reiterate the importance of professional conduct standards contained in the Code of Ethics for the South Australian Public Sector. These apply to all education staff and any breach of them may leave an employee open to disciplinary action. There are

The recently released 2024 ACU Principal Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Report continues to highlight a concerning trend of increasing incidents of violence and bullying towards principals, exacerbating their stress levels and impacting their mental health. Everyone deserves a safe workplace, and it is simply intolerable that nearly 54.5% of Australian principals are reporting threats of

In the second half of 2024, SASSLA and the Principal and Preschool Director Associations (the Joint Associations) engaged in detailed discussions with the department on the government’s commitment for improved employment security for Band A principals and preschool directors. A detailed overview of the discussions is provided here. A final position was reached in October 2024.

SASSLA has recently developed a paper which develops a future scenario for the function of the Band A Principal and Preschool Director (PSD) labour market. The paper is available to read here. The development of a future scenario of the functioning of the Band A labour market is a valuable tool to assess future risks

SASSLA is excited to partner with Monash University at our National Conference in May. We understand the major principal recruitment and retention crisis in South Australia and nationally due to intensified workloads and the emotional labour of managing diverse communities. We understand that change is urgently needed! Use the QR code below if you would

SASSLA recently contributed to the Federal Government’s Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System in the form of a formal submission available to read here. The submission is focused on three areas we see as topical and important to future employment related education policy. These are: The Need for Improved Forecasting of Teacher

SASSLA and SASPA have collaborated on the development of a concept paper titled Reconceptualising the Principal Role. The purpose of this paper is to present a powerful and persuasive argument that a fresh look at the principal role is urgently needed. Our approach is to surface the key systemic issues relevant to the principal role