DAR ES SALAAM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzanian government senior official announced on Wednesday the suspension of 22 senior staff of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), the country's education watchdog, for reportedly printing error-laden textbooks for secondary schools.

Joyce Ndalichako, the Minister for Education, Science and Technology told the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma that the government will take legal action against the suspended staff for causing a huge loss.

Ndalichako announced the suspension of the TIE staff when she was responding to a question posed by Felister Bura, a special seats Member of Parliament who had wanted to know efforts being taken by the government to save the education sector from further deterioration.

"We are consulting state lawyers to establish possible charges against the culprits," she said shortly before the National Assembly had approved the education ministry's budget estimates for the 2018/2019 financial year.

On Monday, Members of Parliament urged the government to overhaul the deteriorating education sector to avoid the east African country from producing "a nation of illiterates".

The MPs, who were debating budget estimates for the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training in the National Assembly, said the quality of the country's education sector was pathetic.

They said the country's education sector has been hit by a number of challenges leading to mass failures in public primary and secondary schools.