CAROLYN GRANT
The Fraser Institute has released its annual Secondary School rankings and Selkirk Secondary in Kimberley is again rated above the provincial average. Selkirk ranks 91 out of 293 secondary schools in British Columbia.
The Fraser Institute rankings are quite controversial and most educators discount them, pointing to the fact that private schools in wealthier urban areas in Vancouver always lead the way.
The Report Card on British Columbia’s Secondary Schools, 2017 ranks 293 public and independent secondary schools based on seven academic indicators using student results from annual provincewide exams, grade-to-grade transition rates, and graduation rates.
Selkirk rates at 6.8 out of 10, which is down from 7.2 out of ten n 2015. However, Indicator results for small schools tend to be more variable than do those for larger schools and the report urges caution in interpreting results. With only 100 students in Grade 12 last year, Selkirk definitely ranks as a small school.
David Thompson in Invermere is also a small school, with only 77 Grade 12 students last year, and it rates at 5.6 out of 10, and 177 out of 293. The other secondary in School District 6, Golden, is even smaller with a Grade 12 enrolment of 56 last year. It rates a 5.9 out of 10 and 161 out of 293.
