elementary school teacher

education assistant

KHALSA SECONDARY SCHOOL

My experience with Khalsa has been almost entirely positive. 

The kids really care about their education, and they desperately crave good teaching. Give them a positive learning environment, and they'll reward you exponentially. There are some fantastic teachers and staff who go above and beyond with the kids, and provide an encouraging and enjoyable environment. The camaraderie amongst teachers is great. I've been told that, in the past, the culture of the school wasn't positive. That has not been my experience. 

The administration is very hard-working, wearing more hats than I've ever seen from a school admin - and they genuinely care about the school and the kids. I read some reviews that indicate that admin is not helpful, but this has not been my experience at all. Admin has been extremely helpful, and receptive to feedback and growth. They want the school to improve, and they care about the kids. 

As for pay - sure, the base pay isn't as high as equivalent private schools in the GVRD. That's a fair point. There are lots of opportunities to supplement base pay with coaching, tutoring, etc. The benefits package seems solid, though I have not needed to use it. They are investing in facilities and are improving the physical work environment and the available technology. The building itself has some places that could use investment, including the back field, library, and some of the classrooms. 

Overall, my experience with the school has been much more positive than some of these past reviews would suggest. It is a great place for new teachers to get comfortable and familiar with curriculum and a classroom environment. There are places to improve, for sure, but my sense is that the admin is working to improve. And the kids are fantastic. 


If you are in your first years of teaching this is great school to start at. The workload is perfect for a teacher starting out and the school really provides a slow pace work environment for teachers starting out who need to focus on their newly made course material. They don't bombard you with unnecessary check -ins/ logistical requests that were mandatory in Teachers College. 

Not only is the work load manageable for first year teachers, but the students and admin make work very enjoyable. I always felt supported by admin whenever I had concerns with my student's behavioral/academic progress. Admin will always support you and steer you towards the right resources that are beneficial for all parties. 

I felt I had full creative control over my class room, my self expression and my lessons. This became beneficial for my students to fully see me as a mentor and build strong respectful relationships. I was also given the opportunity to request books that the school did not have - this was a treat! (Thank you to admin for ordering the new novels) 

Speaking of treats, one of my most favourite aspects of this school was the community they built. The Admin knew every single student like the back of their hand - not many principals have that kind of knowledge. They host many events with delicious food and activities. Almost all their staff meetings come with food and treats. And every month I looked forward to Gurpurab. This is a special day in the month where they celebrate their virtue and the students serve staff delicious home made food for free! (Don't need to pack lunch for that day) Sitting amongst all my students and staff during these sacred days made me feel like I was a part of something bigger than just me. A very wholesome community. 

First year teachers, I definitely recommend.

Thank you for good memories!

In my many years of working as a teacher, I have yet to find such a supportive and loving administration and team to work with. Teachers at Khalsa Secondary truly care about the wellbeing of their students and, in all honesty, the school functions more like a family than a school. There are plenty of opportunities to connect with peers, collaborate and find your niche within the school.

With respect to curriculum, teachers are encouraged to craft their lessons in a meaningful way that incorporates his or her own academic interests and backgrounds. As an educator, I really value this aspect of Khalsa Secondary as I have not really found that elsewhere. I have had a lot of freedom to create interactive curriculum with the help of some pretty awesome teachers. 

Perhaps the most important is our students. Hands down, the students make the school amazing and fun. They are unique, kind and will surprise you day to day, if you give them the opportunity to do so. Many of us teachers hang around for after school events and on the weekends just to spend time with our students and we are constantly reminded of how appreciative they are of this. 

If you are looking for a positive work environment where students and staff may flourish, this is a great fit for you. 

One of the worst private schools I've worked for; the staffing is continually changing as so many people quit mid-term. Management is ineffective and disorganized, and often under-qualified. For example, the high school principal, when I was there in 2015, was a former Grade 5 teacher with no high school experience. 

This school has questionable practices in treatment of staff (the principal berated a teacher in front of students in a class- NOT professional). Additionally, unnecessary work is placed on teachers that normally secretaries would do, as the secretary is apparently doing other things. 

We were forced to attend weekly meetings after schools, most of which added no additional value to our job. 

Lastly, there are two tiers of courses at this school. Religious and Punjabi courses get everything they ask for, while academic departments are constantly denied field trips and buses. The art room had no art supplies, the students had to provide their own. 

If you need a paying job, Khalsa Schools will fill that need- but don't stop looking for work, you'll want out as soon as you realize how dysfunctional this place is.

I really enjoyed my time at Khalsa Secondary. Most of the staff are great and very supportive. The administration has the interests of the school first. This includes students and teachers. While some people may not agree with the Principal's methods it works for this school and she has made great changes. The issue is because it is a private school there is a board, and the board runs it like a business. Rather than hiring the right teachers they want to hire Indians who teach like they are still in India. Down side is the pay, RRSP and health insurance. The board doesn't want to pay what they should so teachers leave. Students are pretty good, no big issues as long as you don't mind teaching in a monoculture school.

Students are generally good and eager to learn, and parents are supportive and encourage their children in their education.

Pay is horrible and does not match neighbouring public school salary (~$10,000 difference). Admin so disorganized that they hardly left their offices at all this year and blamed the teachers when students started getting out of hand.

Very few opportunities for professional development and growth. Has a culture where it is an accepted norm by staff, students, and admin that "good teachers always leave" because they are too cheep and disorganized to support their teaching staff and ensure they are paid well.

Teaching at that school was a real drag. First off, the lessons were stuck in the past – all about memorizing stuff, not thinking. No room for creativity. They barely cared about helping us get better at our jobs, no training or support. And let's talk about resources – we were working with the bare minimum. The place felt like a maze of rules and paperwork, eating up time that could've gone to actually teaching. Dealing with kids and making connections? Forget about it – the focus was all on discipline, not building a good atmosphere. But the real kicker? The pay. I was scraping by, and that just added insult to injury. So yeah, it was a boring, unfulfilling job, and I couldn't wait to leave.

The school is ok at the beginning, but once you learn the true intentions behind admin and other teachers then this school becomes a drag. The pay and how much admin is pushing you under the bridge this school isn’t really worth it. However, learning about the students faith and culture, partaking in their activities, and just in general the students kinda makeup for it. 

It’s perfect to work with team get our vision and massage ; get more workshop and courses to me and teacher and I can give and help, should be give more teaching and building skills and attitudes we live in best humanity and parents waiting more for us .
We are partners with parents and community so we can get our vision and succeeded....

Khalsa has difficulty retaining employees due to the incredibly low rate of pay and high stress environment.  The teachers are great even though they work with limited resources.  There is no job security and they have a board whose motivations are suspect.  The teachers are very hard working and skilled.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Elementary school teacher 1 salary reported	$68,000 per year
Education assistant 1 salary reported	$28.05 per hour

Working at KHALSA SECONDARY SCHOOL: company overview and reviews

KHALSA SECONDARY SCHOOL

KHALSA SECONDARY SCHOOL ratings

Popular jobs at KHALSA SECONDARY SCHOOL

Salary satisfaction

Job seeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected