VANCOUVER, BC—Forty-seven schools from across British Columbia were recognized as being among the best in the province at the annual Garfield Weston Awards for Excellence in Education dinner in Vancouver Thursday.

Awards were presented in three categories, each reflecting different aspects of academic success. Improvement in Academics – Elementary recognizes the elementary school that has experienced the fastest, most consistently improved overall academic rating over the past five years. Determination in Academic Achievement – Elementary and Determination in Academic Achievement - Secondary recognize elementary and secondary school teams of administrators, teachers, and support staff who ensure that their students succeed, regardless of the considerable obstacles that they might face.

The awards are based on an analysis of the Ministry of Education’s student results data for each school included in the Fraser Institute’s annual Report Card on British Columbia’s Elementary Schools and Report Card on Secondary Schools in British Columbia and Yukon. Out of 298 secondary schools and 981 elementary schools in BC, only the top performers in each category were invited to participate in the awards.

“The teachers, support staff, and administrators from these schools are continually finding new ways to help their students achieve more in school,” said Peter Cowley, director of school performance studies at the Fraser Institute.

“We identify these successful school teams and publicly celebrate their accomplishments because they deserve congratulations for a job very well done and so that other school teams will be encouraged to follow their example.”

Britannia Elementary Community School of Vancouver won the award for Improvement in Academics – Elementary and a $3,000 prize. Two other Lower Mainland schools, Saint James Elementary School of Abbotsford and West Point Grey Academy of Vancouver, were named runners-up. Both schools received a $1,000 prize.

In the Determination in Academic Achievement – Elementary category, three Lower Mainland schools took the top spots. Corpus Christi School of Vancouver was named the winner, for the third year in a row, and awarded a $3,000 prize. Runners-up were Saint Paul School of Richmond and Saint Francis Xavier Elementary School of Vancouver. Both schools received a $1,000 prize.

Saint Patrick Regional Secondary School of Vancouver won the award for Determination in Academic Achievement – Secondary, for the second year in a row, and a $3,000 prize. Two other Lower Mainland schools, Richmond Christian School – Secondary Campus and Highroad Academy of Chilliwack, were named runners-up in the category. Both schools received a $1,000 prize.

“It is an enormous accomplishment for a school team to be recognized as a Weston Awards winner, runner-up, or as a school of distinction. Regardless of where they finish, the school teams being honoured by the Weston Awards are among the very best in the entire province,” Cowley said.

Click here for a complete list of award-winning schools.