Bikaner: The Education Department of the state has slated the closure of nearly 1,200 schools in Bikaner district, which either existed only on papers or did not reap any benefit.

"Such schools might be merged with a nearby functional school," said a government official.

About 400 schools that were established on the recommendations of local representatives did not admit even a single student and the remaining 800 schools where the strength of the students in either of the sixth, seventh and eighth standard is less than 20 are classified as 'non-beneficial'.

The government has recommended closure of these 400 non-functioning schools and merging the students of non-beneficial schools with that of schools within the vicinity of a few kilometer radii.

There were 110 zero-attendance and 129 non-beneficial schools in 2007-08 and most of them were in Bikaner.

The Education Department, asking for a closure or merging of these non-functional and non-beneficial schools had also sent similar proposal to the government last year.