Invisible Labour: Principals’ Emotional Labour in Volatile Times. Report Four: “Hung out to Dry”

The findings of this report are based on an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant (DP230100594) research project: Invisible Labour: Principals’ Emotional Labour in Volatile Times. A collaboration between Monash University, Deakin University and the University of Sydney, this report details public-school principals’ feeling “hung out to dry” and explores their emotional labour in the context of schooling and education systems. This fourth report in the series investigates how systemic conditions within Australian public education intensify the emotional labour of school principals. Drawing on 298 critical incident testimonies from 256 public-school principals, stakeholder interviews, case studies and a policy audit, the study reveals a pattern of neglect, overwork, and emotional strain that is pushing principals to the brink—physically, mentally and professionally.