Some Outaouais and Pontiac schools fall behind while others surge ahead

Tashi Farmilo

Public high schools across the Outaouais and Pontiac continue to trail much of the province in academic performance, according to Quebec’s newly released Bulletin des écoles secondaires 2025, published by the Fraser Institute. The annual report ranks 470 public and independent schools across the province using provincial exam results in French, English, science, and mathematics from the 2023–2024 academic year. While some schools in the area posted signs of improvement, the report highlights persistent disparities that continue to define much of the educational landscape.

Among English-language public schools in Outaouais, Hadley Junior and Philemon Wright High School in Gatineau remain the strongest performer. The school received a score of 6.3 out of 10, a slight decline from 6.5 last year. Its graduation rate, however, climbed to 74.9 per cent, up from 69.7, and its dropout rate is below the regional average at 8.8 per cent.

Valley High School in Wakefield posted one of the region’s most notable improvements. With a 5.6 rating and an 83.3 per cent graduation rate, the school now outpaces many of its peers. It also recorded a zero per cent dropout rate, a rare achievement in the region. Just five years ago, the school had a significantly lower rating and has since become a model for local turnaround.

St. Michael’s High School in Low presented a more troubling picture. Its current rating stands at 4.9, with a graduation rate of 61.1 per cent and a dropout rate of 20 per cent. That figure is twice the average for Outaouais. Symmes Junior and D’Arcy McGee High School in Gatineau posted a rating of 5.9 and a graduation rate of 72.6 per cent. Though close to the provincial average of 81.9 percent, the school’s performance has remained largely static.

In the Pontiac, two schools remain in the lower end of the provincial rankings. Sieur-de-Coulonge in Mansfield-et-Pontefract earned a 4.7 rating, while Pontiac High School in Clarendon received a 4.6. Graduation rates for the two schools were 60.3 per cent and 65.3 per cent respectively, both trailing the provincial benchmark. Their dropout rates, at 8.6 per cent for Sieur-de-Coulonge and 6.9 percent for Pontiac High, are moderate but still reflect ongoing challenges in student retention.

One of the most remarkable success stories in the province came from École secondaire des Lacs in La Pêche. The school improved from a 3.7 rating in 2018 to 7.7 in 2024, despite 59.1 per cent of its students having special needs. That performance ranked it as the fastest-improving school in Quebec. Also in the Outaouais, École de la Cité étudiante de la Haute-Gatineau in Maniwaki posted significant gains, rising from a 2.7 rating in 2018 to 5.8.

“Our school rankings prove that improvements are possible across the province, in every kind of school that serves different types of students,” said Yanick Labrie, a senior associate at the Fraser Institute.