The 2026 policy briefing of the Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA) outlines key priorities for secondary school leaders as Australia’s education sector navigates significant policy change.
The document builds on outcomes from the 2025 ASPA National Summit, held at Parliament House in March 2025. It addresses nine domains:
- School funding and accountability
- Principal health and wellbeing
- Workforce sustainability and development
- Secondary curriculum and assessment pathways
- Inclusive education and student wellbeing
- Artificial intelligence and digital learning
- Collaboration and communication
- Accountability and long-term planning
- National system reform and harmonisation
The briefing is intended to inform government, education stakeholders, and the public of ASPA’s evidence-based advocacy positions.
ASPA 2026 policy briefing and funding reform
The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA) 2025–2034 commits an additional $16.5 billion to public schools over the next decade. ASPA broadly welcomes the agreement as progress toward full funding at 100% of the School Resourcing Standard.
The association is calling for:
- Transparent bilateral reporting on how states measure their School Resourcing Standard contributions
- Meaningful engagement of principals’ peak bodies in Enabling Initiative design
- Explicit scrutiny at the 2029 BFSA progress review of whether reform conditions are being met
ASPA also calls for a review of the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA). It argues the current measure can obscure concentrated disadvantage within schools that appear to have moderate overall scores.
The association is also calling for a permanent national school infrastructure fund, prioritising schools with the greatest need.
A profession under pressure
Principal health and wellbeing sit at the centre of the briefing. The 2025 ACU Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey found:
- 53% of principals report intending to leave the role
- 49.6% have experienced physical violence
- 45% triggered red-flag alerts indicating serious risk to self-harm or quality of life
ASPA is calling for a dedicated national strategy, supported by all state, territory, and federal education ministers. The strategy must include allocated funding and measurable outcomes.
The worsening picture is consistent with recent findings on principal health and wellbeing in dramatic decline across Australian schools.
On workload, ASPA argues principals are managing responsibilities beyond those expected of leaders in comparable organisations. The briefing calls for streamlined administrative processes and better staffing support structures. It also advocates for a right to disconnect outside work hours.
Curriculum, AI, and national reform
On curriculum and assessment, ASPA advocates for a more flexible secondary education system. The association wants to move beyond the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) as the primary measure of student success. It also calls for a review of tertiary admissions processes to promote greater equity and consistency.
Artificial intelligence governance is addressed directly. ASPA is calling for clear national guidelines covering:
- AI-generated content in assessment
- data security protocols
- ethical use frameworks developed in consultation with school leaders
The briefing notes that schools require system-level support to manage emerging challenges, including deepfakes. ASPA supports the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, which restricts social media access for under-16s. It is clear though that enforcement responsibility must not fall on schools.
What the ASPA 2026 policy briefing says on national reform
The proposed National Teaching and Learning Commission would merge the following into a single national body:
- Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)
- Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
- Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)
- Education Services Australia
ASPA supports the proposal in principle. But the association insists principals’ associations must have a central, decision-making role in the commission’s design, not merely a consultative one.
What school leaders are asking for from the Teaching and Learning Commission underlines how much is at stake in the design phase.
The ASPA 2026 policy briefing represents the association’s clearest articulation yet of what secondary school leaders need from government. Its release adds momentum to the national conversation about translating education reform into conditions that allow principals to lead effectively, safely, and sustainably.
Read the full ASPA 2026 policy briefing here, also available on the ASPA website.