The Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA) is reinforcing the role of school leadership in shaping national education policy through high-level engagement with federal decision-makers and sector partners, including recent discussions with the Minister for Education.
On 5 December 2025, ASPA participated in a National Principal Reference Group (NPRG) meeting with Education Minister Jason Clare, focusing on a range of priority issues for secondary education. These included the under-16 social media ban, quality assurance in initial teacher education, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) curriculum review, the National Teaching and Learning Commission, and strategies to support principal wellbeing and efficacy.
ASPA President Mr Andy Mison said the meeting highlighted the importance of practising school leaders having a direct role in national reform discussions.
“ASPA continues to advocate strongly for the perspectives of secondary principals to be embedded in national education strategy, particularly where reforms will directly affect schools, leaders and students,” Mr Mison said.
In November, ASPA also met separately with Minister Clare to discuss priority policy areas, including the proposed National Teaching and Learning Commission and approaches to supporting principal wellbeing. According to Mr Mison, these conversations are critical as governments consider structural reforms to teaching and learning.
“Principals are at the coalface of implementation, and their experience must inform the design and purpose of any national commission focused on teaching and learning,” he said.
ASPA has also played a coordinating role in sector-wide advocacy, including a recent open letter to media outlets calling for an end to the publication of school league tables based solely on NAPLAN results. The letter was supported by signatories across the education sector, including all NPRG members, ASPA affiliates, ACARA, parent organisations and prominent education voices.
Mr Mison said the association’s position is that simplistic rankings fail to reflect the complexity of schooling and student growth.
“We are calling for media reporting that recognises student progress and context, rather than rankings that do not account for the realities of different school communities,” he said. “All school data is already publicly available through MySchool, and there are fairer ways to communicate educational success.”
Supporting leadership wellbeing remains central to ASPA’s work. A national pilot program, Supporting School Leaders through Supervision and Reflective Practice, developed in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) and Headspace, has attracted strong interest. National briefing sessions were held in early December, with expansion planned for 2026.
ASPA has also commenced a Principals’ Australia Research Fund project titled System leadership in action: Co-designing approaches that empower principals as catalysts of reform. The research will inform future advocacy on principal agency and system leadership.
Mr Mison said engagement with state associations has strengthened ASPA’s national agenda. Recent activity included participation in the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council State Assembly, the Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association State Council, and a QSPA–ASPA National Agenda Workshop in Brisbane involving 25 Queensland secondary principals. Feedback from the workshop will inform ASPA’s 2026 National Summit and ongoing policy engagement.
Looking ahead, ASPA has identified key priorities for 2026, including continued advocacy for NPRG representation in shaping the National Teaching and Learning Commission, engagement with education ministers on principal wellbeing, progression of Next Generation Learning and Entrepreneurial Schools programs, and advocacy for fairer and more equitable education funding and accountability arrangements.
“As we look to 2026, our focus remains on strengthening leaders, transforming systems and ensuring policy settings genuinely support student flourishing and principal efficacy,” Mr Mison said.
