Some teachers in the Ho Municipality on Friday said teachers should not be blamed for the 2013 poor performance ranking of Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Region.

They claimed many students in the Municipality simply did not appreciate the value of education and that teachers could not be blamed for students’ poor performance.

The teachers, who sought anonymity were speaking to the GNA in Ho following the release of 2013 SHS performance ranking by the Ministry of Education.

Schools in the Volta Region performed badly with the first School placing 23rd nationally.

Some parents, in reaction to the poor ranking of SHS students performance in the Region, attributed it to teachers absenteeism and poor supervision.

A woman, who called into a radio programme, accused headmasters of SHSs in the Region of not living up to expectation.

Other callers also alleged that some teachers use contact hours to do private businesses including driving commercial vehicles.

However, a tutor at Mawuli School said, "We are doing our best and cannot be faulted. For instance yesterday, we tried to monitor prep but some students still exhibited indiscipline with others absenting themselves."

Mr Bright Dey, Head of Planning at the Regional Education Directorate in the Region, agreed that lack of supervision accounted for the poor performance of schools in the Region and said "supervision is weak from the school level to management level."

He said it was unfortunate that head teachers were in the schools on daily basis yet they were unable to monitor and supervise teachers effectively and urged them to be "up and doing."

According to the ranking, Bishop Herman College at Kpando is the first school in the Region, placing 23rd position nationally. Mawuli School placed sixth position in the Region and 123 nationally, Ola SHS is eighth in the Region and 159 nationally and Mawuko Girls SHS, 13th in the Region and 296 nationally.

A number of old students’ unions are said to have called for emergency meetings to discuss the poor ranking of their schools.

GNA