A Maltese exam paper with a comprehension exercise and questions centred around an opinion piece by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, with her name and title included, was given to some secondary students, former PN MP Jason Azzopardi pointed out on Facebook.

Azzopardi said that it was given to students with learning difficulties.

Dalli was quick to respond via a Facbook post in which she made it clear that she had "absolutely nothing to do" with the exam and elaborated that she heard of the incident through the media. She said that the excerpt used was from an opinion piece written to a local newspaper and stated that no excerpt with her name as a minister should have been in an exam paper. She added that she herself has children and understands that politics in an exam paper would upset everyone.

Dalli said that this "excessive" gesture was not done to support her, more so when she saw the coordinated attack by "persons who have been trying to create a narrative or, rather, a political argument against me for these last few weeks."

The Ministry for Education also issued a statement responding to the. It said that no minister has any access to exam papers nor their content. It explained that there are, and have been, procedures in place specifically to ensure that the exam process is run by experts in the education sector without any political nor administrative interference.

In conclusion, the ministry said that it is setting up a board to establish the facts and produce conclusions as well as recommendations, "that will lead to actions that will be taken to make the current system better."