There is nothing like the school rankings to provoke debate. Now I am not a great fan of ranking schools on whatever basis. In the UK we saw the school league tables, and schools trying to better their ranking at the expense of an all-round education.
So, it is with some hesitation that I mention the ranking of Lower Mainland (ie metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley) school districts by their Fraser Institute scores.
Below is a list of the school districts and their rank within BC as a whole. Note that 1 is best.
1. West Vancouver
5. North Vancouver
6. Coquitlam
7. New Westminster
7. Richmond
13. Vancouver
14. Langley
14. Surrey
18. Burnaby
20. Chilliwack
20. Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows
23. Howe Sound
27. Delta
28. Abbotsford
33. Mission
Note these are for public schools – not private or fee paying ones. Those often do the best of all.
It still seems to me that Canadian education is broader based and not so focused purely on passing exams and academic achievement. Visiting a school and seeing how the students behave will often give you a better feeling for how your child will do in the school than any school ranking system.
So by all means do your research, but then come out and visit the area and the schools you like.