Confidence among Australian educators that their school or early learning service is prepared to respond to a critical incident has dropped from 71% in 2024 to 63% in 2026, according to new data.
The figures come from the State of Mental Health in Education 2026 Report, based on Be You's National Mental Health in Education Survey – a nationally representative poll of more than 2,000 educators conducted annually since 2018, Beyond Blue said. The survey has been run by Quantum Market Research since 2022, after Ipsos managed earlier rounds.
The decline comes as schools and early learning services respond to a growing number of complex events, including natural disasters, deaths within school communities and other traumatic incidents, according to Beyond Blue.
Everyday mental health confidence improving
Beyond Blue's report found gains in some areas even as crisis-preparedness confidence fell. Confidence in recognizing signs and symptoms of mental health concerns rose from 66% in 2023 to 76% in 2026, while confidence in responding appropriately to students experiencing mental health challenges increased from 72% to 80% over the same period.
Eighty-nine percent of educators agreed that supporting student mental health is part of their job. Educators identified depression and anxiety as the leading health challenge facing children and young people, at 63%, and 53% said they did not agree that children in their learning community are mentally healthy.
Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said the findings show educators are often managing their own reactions to a crisis while supporting others through it.
"Educators are often supporting children and young people through grief, uncertainty and distress while also carrying the impact of the event themselves," Harman said. "These findings are a reminder that improving preparedness isn't just about supporting children and young people when a crisis occurs. It's also about recognising the demands these events place on educators and ensuring they're supported in the important role they play in help their communities recover."
Head of Be You Kate Memish said settings with stronger outcomes are typically the ones that plan ahead. "Recovery from a critical incident is stronger when early learning services and schools already have plans, processes and support systems in place before an incident occurs," Memish said. "Being prepared helps educators respond with greater confidence, coordinate support more effectively and create the conditions for children, young people and communities to recover well."
Independent research points to the same strain
Separate national research led by Monash University, in collaboration with Deakin University and the University of Sydney, documented a related trend among school leaders. The study, funded by an Australian Research Council grant, drew on 298 critical-incident testimonies from 256 public school principals, plus stakeholder interviews and a policy audit.
More than a third of principals surveyed, 34.3%, were critical of their employer's response or support during crises, the research found. Lead researcher Professor Jane Wilkinson said the findings reflect a system under pressure.
"Australian public school principals are navigating increasingly volatile environments with limited government support. Their emotional labour is largely invisible and often unacknowledged," Wilkinson said.
The two bodies of research point to a similar gap: as critical incidents in schools become more frequent, confidence that systems and support are keeping pace is falling, even as some measures of everyday mental health capability improve.
Funding talks ahead of 2027
Be You's reach currently extends to 74% of Australian schools and 37% of early learning services, supporting more than 14,000 education settings, Harman said. With the initiative's current funding period due to end in 2027, Beyond Blue is in continuing discussions with the federal government on how it, headspace and Early Childhood Australia can keep supporting educators, she said.