It is disturbing to learn that there were some training colleges that have been operating without following proper laid down procedures by a government institution,Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (Teveta), which is statutorily entrusted with the oversight role in the establishment and running of training and vocational institutions of higher learning in the country.

We hear that in the past week Teveta has been forced to close down 29 training institutions after inspecting them.

What is more worrying is the revelation that five of the training institutions that were closed down were previously told to shut down but continued to run their courses albeit the poor state and the unsuitability of their places of learning.

It, therefore, beats reason to imagine how and why one could think of running such institutions of higher learning without proper accreditation and even worse to continue to run them despite being told of their shortcomings.

The institutions should know better that what they were dealing with was the future of many Malawians who depended on such institutions for education and spent their hard earned money to advance their careers and find good jobs to uplift their lives.

What it means is that the students, who were learning in these institutions, have been dealt a double blow; the money which the individual students and their parents paid to these institutions and the time spent in these makeshift colleges have been wasted.

Vocational training institutions should aim at offering quality and credible education qualifications which starts with proper accreditation by relevant authorities before going into operation.

We would like to echo the voice of Teveta in urging students, parents and guardians to always check with relevant authorities on the eligibility of such vocational training institutions before enrolling.

Teveta should also flex its muscles and use the law to bring the five institutions that defied its earlier order to close down for them and others to learn from it.

That is how we can bring sanity in the system.