Half of the teachers at Scotch College are unhappy, reflecting concerns about new principal

Half of the teachers at one of Victoria’s most prestigious schools are unhappy with their jobs, reflecting concern about the leadership of its “divisive” new principal.

Half of the teachers at one of Victoria’s oldest, most prestigious schools are unhappy with their jobs, damning new data has revealed.

The satisfaction of teaching staff at Scotch College has plunged in recent years, reflecting concern about the leadership of new principal Scott Marsh, among other issues.

Data provided to the Herald Sun shows fifty per cent of staff surveyed in 2023 were unhappy with the school as a whole (54 out of 107 people), up from 26 per cent in 2020. The overall organisation score of 3.28 out of 6 is the lowest since at least 2016.

The data also shows that one third of Scotch College teachers surveyed were dissatisfied with their jobs overall in 2023, up from a decade-long low in 2019 of 18 per cent. A total of 34 out of 107 staff who answered the anonymous survey administered by the school were dissatisfied in 2023.

Dr Scott Marsh continues to be a divisive figure at the historic school.

Overall job satisfaction on a six-point scale has dropped from as high as 4.49 in 2019 to 4.03 in 2023. Dr Marsh started at the elite Hawthorn boys’ school in 2023.

As the Herald Sun has reported in recent months, staff were concerned earlier in the year about a protracted pay deal at the school, which is one of the richest in the state, pocketing $78m in income for 2022 and posting a $4.4m surplus.

The school charges parents fees of more than $40,000 annually for year 12.

Staff have also been unhappy about timetable changes ending the school day early one day a week, which the school has been forced to resile from.

Sources say planned cuts to class time, along with cuts to PE and religion classes have angered staff and upset parents at the 170-year-old institution.

Dr Marsh suggested the timetable “tweak” in a bid to appease overworked teachers and give them more time for collaboration and planning.

Parents were also unhappy and hundreds signed a change.org petition which led to the idea being scaled back.

A staff member has noted Dr Marsh continues to spend money on international travel, new campuses and new staff appointments, despite the school having to pay more than $3m a year in the new payroll tax.

It’s understood that Dr Marsh, who was appointed as the august school’s tenth principal after frontrunner Matthew Leeds was not given the job, is holding a round of meetings with parents this week.

Dr Marsh continues to be a divisive figure at the historic school.

One staff member noted that while Dr Marsh spoke against the school having to pay more than $3m a year in the new state payroll tax from July, he was continuing to spend money on international travel, new campuses and new staff appointments, including two new social media managers.

Dr Marsh also announced the purchase of a new campus, Fairhaven, a 175-hectare property in Mallacoota.

He wrote to parents last month telling them the school “continues to retain and attract the best teaching talent from Australia and around the world”.

“We are committed to fully engaging our staff, families and the wider community as we implement the reforms necessary to maintain Scotch College’s reputation for excellence,” he wrote.

A spokeswoman for Scotch College said: “Scotch College prioritises teacher satisfaction and development, recognising that retaining quality teachers is crucial for student success”.

“Acknowledging the sector-wide decline in satisfaction, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, our new leadership team is committed to addressing this issue through a series of innovative reforms designed to make Scotch a world leader in boys’ education and teacher development,” she said.

“While there has naturally been some apprehension about change, the majority of our staff have been very supportive of the reforms which were announced to them today and will be shared with parents next week.”