The Nationalist Party has voiced its concern over claims by the Malta Union of Teachers that the marks of students who did not even sit for assessments had been tampered with by the Education Ministry.

Shadow Minister Clyde Puli said the claim that marks were given or changed without teachers' consent was serious and reflected the state of the Education Ministry.

The claim was made by the Malta Union of Teachers on Wednesday, which did not give details on the scale of the issue and the classes the students attended. The Education Minister announced shortly after that she had requested an independent inquiry.

Puli said in a statement that interference in the education system was leading teachers to complain about a lack of respect for the teaching profession. Parents were also worried about the marks given to their children.

Puli also recalled that over the past weeks there had been complaints about exam questions covering subjects not included in syllabi.

The education ministry, he said, should immediately rectify the situation.