Friday, Mar 9, 2018
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
Pride and joy
MP talks immigration for the regions P2
MOTORING
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You’re dealing with challenging demands and school community expectations ... and running a multimillion dollar operation
An ‘incredibly stressful’ job SAM WINTERBOURN
BY KATIE TODD
KATIE.T@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
School principals are experiencing an unhealthy level of stress in jobs at local Mid Canterbury schools and right throughout the country. An independent study commissioned by NZEI has found “disturbingly high” stress rates among New Zealand’s primary school principals when compared with other Kiwis. Those in the profession are suffering 1.8 times more stress than the general population, 2.4 times more trouble sleeping and 1.7
times the rate of burnout. The average number of hours worked by principals has also increased to around 53-58 hours, up from 51-55 in 2016 – however for Ashburton Borough School principal Sam Winterbourn, that number is closer to 60. “It’s an incredibly stressful occupation … and I’m not home many nights in the course of a week,” he said. “You’re dealing with challenging demands and school community expectations ... and running a multimillion dollar operation …plus I don’t think many other
occupations have so many eyes looking at you on a daily basis.” Winterbourn said he also felt the growing complexity of education and the cumulative effects of societal changes had contributed to the issue. In his 42 years in the industry, he had observed constantly changing pedagogical understandings such as the shift from whole class to individual teaching, and said he felt principals faced a lack of certainty. “It is a rewarding job … but I’m not sure the rewards always outweigh the workload,” he said. The survey identified “lack of
time to focus on teaching and learning” and “sheer quantity of work” as the main sources of stress, but Hampstead School principal Peter Melrose said for him, the most stressful part of the job was child welfare. “Like most people I want the best for their children – there is a dynamic between a parent loving a child and being able to nurture a child. Some of these turn into wider questions … how much capacity does NZ society have to finance and provide for families/ students in need?” He said he felt that being in a
“people person” role also brought a simultaneous dose of stress and reward. “Any role or job that deals with people is stressful, as you as the leader negotiate competing priorities [and] agendas.” Melrose said that though the role was stressful, “the ability to manage the stress is part of the role”.
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