鈥淥ne-quarter of 91大黄鸭 elementary students 鈥榖elow expectations鈥�,鈥� a headline recently read.

As a parent, and as a lawyer, I confess that I am puzzled by the prominence given in the media to these 鈥渞ankings鈥�, year after year.

Would the Fraser Institute鈥檚 ranking of schools be admissible in court for the purpose of proving the validity of the rankings?

Probably not.

It may be admissible for other purposes, though.

They are not reliable. They reveal an opinion. They say little if anything about the quality of education provided.

The Institute鈥檚 website demonstrates an interest in 鈥渆ducation policy.鈥� Articles are posted on its website include: 鈥淐anadian families may soon benefit from U.S. education reform鈥�, 鈥淢ore spending doesn鈥檛 equal better results in government-run schools鈥� and 鈥淩eality check鈥攕maller high school classes don鈥檛 improve student performance鈥�.

鈥淏.C. education system performing well while holding the line on spending.鈥� 鈥淨uebec and B.C. spend less on education than other provinces鈥攚hile outperforming most provinces.鈥�

鈥淪tudent performance does not reflect education spending hikes in Alberta.鈥�

It now also produces a 鈥渞eport鈥� on 鈥淓ducation Spending in Public Schools in Canada.鈥�

The Fraser Institute supports large class sizes. It also supports massive cuts to public education.

Every year, private schools dominate its top 鈥渞ankings.鈥�

But curiously, its ranking formulas are not disclosed.

The lack of transparency alone makes the results questionable at best.

Garbage in, garbage out.

Income is one factor that the Fraser Institute considers in formulating its rankings.

Clearly those of limited means do not generally attend private schools. They cannot afford it.

Of course, income level has nothing to do with a child鈥檚 intelligence.

Years ago, a small local public school in Calgary which was largely unknown, Holy Name school, was 鈥渞anked鈥� for many years below 200th place.

Then, school boundaries were re-drawn. The new boundary included a wealthy area up the hill. Immediately, this school鈥檚 ratings shot up to 59th in the province. It became one of the most highly ranked schools within the province, most recently 10th in the province.

Adding wealthy neighbourhoods does wonders for one鈥檚 ranking!

There is every reason to believe that income is an important, and maybe even a primary, factor in the undisclosed formula.

Is the intention of the 鈥渞eport on schools鈥� to encourage increased enrolment in private schools? Is the idea that fewer children in public schools means less government funding and therefore lower taxes for the Institute鈥檚 wealthy donors?

The Institute is privately owned.

Donors have included Exxon-Mobil, the Koch brothers and the Weston Family Foundation.

have that prominent billionaires associated with the American oil industry donate regularly to the Fraser institute.

Here in Canada, we do have oil. We do have pipelines. We do tax oil companies, a share of which goes to public education.

A in The New Yorker stated that certain of these individuals:

鈥� are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry 鈥� especially environmental regulation. These views dovetail with the brothers鈥� corporate interests. 鈥�

Fortunately, our laws have some fundamental differences from American law. These laws protect our public institutions.

Is the intent to eventually erode our public system of education, by encouraging an en masse movement into private schools?

If so, it may be working, particularly in B.C., which has been to have lowest percentage of children in public schools.

Encouraging enrolment in 鈥渉ighly rated鈥� private schools may have far reaching implications for students, families, our public educational system and Canadian society.

Whether or not public schools are 鈥渂elow expectations鈥� must be determined based on a transparent and reliable methodology. Not by private criteria established by a private organization whose interests may not align with those of parents or children.

Even if it were true that public schools are 鈥渇alling behind,鈥� that only reinforces how critical it is that our public educational systems be adequately funded.

Against this background, it is not surprising that the B.C. Teachers鈥� Federation 鈥渂辞驳耻蝉.鈥�

Parents, when considering which schools your children will attend, seek out reliable information.

Will a school, school board, teachers or parents one day commence an action against the Fraser Institute for encouraging parents to enroll their children in 鈥渉ighly rated鈥� private schools, based on the questionable assessments that underlie its 鈥渞eport on schools鈥�? In such a proceeding, various interesting information including the formula may be relevant and subject to being publicly disclosed.

In case you missed it?

About Susan Kootnekoff:

Susan Kootnekoff is the founder of Inspire Law, an Okanagan based-law practice. She has been practicing law since 1994, with brief stints away to begin raising children.

Susan has experience in many areas of law, but is most drawn to areas in which she can make a positive difference in people鈥檚 lives, including employment law.

She has been a member of the Law Society of Alberta since 1994 and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia since 2015. Susan grew up in Saskatchewan. Her parents were both entrepreneurs, and her father was also a union leader who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of workers. Before moving to B.C., Susan practiced law in both Calgary and Fort McMurray, Alta.

Living and practicing law in Fort McMurray made a lasting impression on Susan. It was in this isolated and unique community that her interest in employment law, and Canada鈥檚 oil sands industry, took hold. In 2013,

Susan moved to the Okanagan with her family, where she currently resides.

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