The education sector must be undergoing some sort of labour pains. It first began with calls from the Catholic Church (which runs the majority of schools in the country) to revert to the old school calendar where the academic year starts in September.

The reason put forward was that studying during the hot season was unproductive to students. The government has noted their concerns and promised to reverse the situation beginning 2020 academic year.

But that was of little concern as more serious issues were waiting just around the corner. In August, over 50 schools were closed for not meeting standards, especially regarding sanitation and the welfare of the students.

Then early this week 108 schools were given notice that they would not be allowed to reopen in January if they did not meet the set standards. Again it revolved around sanitation and poor service delivery.

Then, this week again, the Ministry of Education said it was going to sanction 120 teachers for various violations. Some will see them thrown out or suspended. It followed the conclusions of a Quality Education Enhancement Awareness Campaign carried out last month which discovered that some teachers were frequently skipping classes, putting in fewer hours or simply not doing their job.

Something definitely needs to be done to overhaul the education department. If necessary, drastic measures need to be taken as the future of this country cannot be left in the hands of modern-day mercenaries masquerading as teachers.