Watson Lake's high school has the worst academic performance rating in British Columbia and the Yukon, with more students failing their achievement tests than passing.

In an academic performance rating of all B.C. and Yukon secondary schools highlighted in a Fraser Institute, Yukon schools faired poorly with their achievement tests compared to their B.C. counterparts.

The report is based on academic performance figures provided by B.C.'s Ministery of Education and is based on a number of performance indicators.

The Fraser Institute is an independent think tank with offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto.

The indicators include: average provincial exam mark; percentage of exams failed; the difference between the school mark and examination mark in provincially/territorially examinable courses; the difference in performance between male and female students in English 12 and Math 12; the number of achievement exams taken per student; the graduation rate and the likelihood that a school's Grade 10 students will receive their diploma on time.

In a ranking of B.C.'s and the Yukon's 281 secondary schools, Watson Lake was tied for dead last with a rating of zero out of 10.

According to the report, the average exam mark in Watson Lake was 48.2 per cent, with 52.6 per cent of students failing their achievement tests.

Whitehorse's Vanier Catholic Secondary School fared the best in the territory with a ranking of 170 overall, a mark of 5.9 out of 10, an average exam mark of 66.5 per cent and a total of 17.9 per cent of students failing their exams.

F.H. Collins Secondary School had a ranking of 217 overall with a mark of 5.2 out of 10, an average exam score of 64.3 per cent and a failure rate of 18.4 per cent.

Porter Creek Secondary School was ranked 224 with a score of five out of 10, an average exam score of 65.3 per cent and a failure rate of 18.4 per cent.

The territory's education system has a budget of approximately $100 million a year and oversees 5,400 students.

Lee Kubica, the Department of Education's superintendent of schools and assistant deputy director, said this morning the report figures are somewhat disappointing.

'The report is accurate ... we'd obviously like the results to be higher,' he told the Star.

Kubica said while the territory does spend $100 million on education annually and is producing lower achievement test levels, the territory has some unique challenges that are not as apparent in schools South of 60.

'A significant portion of that budget is due to our geography,' he said.

Many of the Yukon communities have very small schools with few students that are expensive to keep open, Kubica noted.

Smaller schools, he added, also tend to have a more limited curriculum.

Kubica also said that a higher percentage of students in the Yukon took the achievement tests than in other jurisdictions, and that next year's figures could change.

'Next year, Watson Lake could be much higher.'

Officials in Watson Lake could not be reached for comment on the results.

The Yukon Teachers' Association wasn't prepared to comment today.

NDP Education critic Lorraine Peter said this afternoon she doesn't put much stake in the report.

Because Yukon's geography and communities are different than those down south, she told the Star, comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges.

'With all 281 schools on a point system, it's unfair for Yukon schools to be compared with schools in B.C.' Peter said.