Both school inspectors and the school board of a trade school in Maastricht were aware that compulsory school exams were not being dealt with property as early as November 2016, the Volkskrant and Trouw said on Friday.

Both the newspapers have copies of correspondence between at least 15 concerned parents and the school authorities about the problems. After failing to get satisfactory answers, the parents then took the issue to the school inspectors.

But this was not enough to stop all 354 final year pupils at the school being told earlier this month they would not get a school leaving certificate because of the failure to complete compulsory course work and tests.

Pupils at the school whose exam results were declared invalid because of ‘administrative errors’ have been given until January to catch up on course work so they can still graduate.

Education minister Arie Slob said on Wednesday that their results in the national school leaving exams would be kept on file until then, to allow the 354 16 and 17-year-olds time to complete the necessary classroom time.

‘This is not a guarantee of success but it does offer them the chance to get a school leaving certificate,’ Slob said. The school leaving exams in the Netherlands consist of marks for course work and school exams plus nationwide tests which all pupils take.

The school inspectorate has declined to comment on the claims and says an investigation is now under way.