EDUCATION chiefs have denied that almost 200 schools across the region are threatened with closure due to a lack of pupils.

Following a national review by the Department for Education and Skills, Schools' Minister David Miliband this week encouraged local authorities to address problems faced by schools in which more than a quarter of classroom places are left unfilled.

Options available to schools in this position - of which there are 172 primaries and 16 secondaries in the region - can include closure or a merger.

A spokesman for the DfES said that local education authorities were being asked to look into ways to reduce the 25pc surplus when this translates to at least 30 empty places.

He said that this did not necessarily mean closures, and that extra places could be reduced in ways such as removing temporary accommodation, merging split-site schools or adapting space for community use such as playgroups.

In a written statement to MPs, Mr Miliband said that local authorities would not be ordered to close schools and no target date had been set for cutting surpluses. He said that a working group would be set up to help schools explore the options available.

Mr Miliband said: "Dealing effectively and sensitively with falling rolls presents a real challenge to individual schools and to local education authorities

"In some cases, it is sensible to propose the closure or amalgamation of schools

"In others, surplus places can provide opportunities for extended schools, providing a range of other services alongside schooling."

Durham County Council's education director, Keith Mitchell, said that while there were around 12,000 surplus places in the county's schools, the council would not need to solve the problem by closing schools on a large scale.

He said that the council actively maintained an overall level of 13pc surplus places in its schools.

Mr Mitchell said: "This gives us the flexibility to cope with factors including parental preference, sudden fluctuations in the birth rate and population, and also recognises the fact that as a rural county comprising mainly of small settlements rather than large towns, there is a need to keep schools open to minimise pupils' travelling time."

He said that recent figures showed that just 10pc of secondary school places in the county are currently unfilled. Primary schools have an average surplus of around 17pc, meaning nearly 2,900 of these extra places need to be removed.

The council's cabinet member for education, Neil Foster, said the authority had long term reviews in place to shed the surplus places, using closure only as the very last resort.

In North Yorkshire figures suggest that 34 primary and three secondary schools have at least a quarter of their places left empty.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council dismissed reports of a danger list being drawn up of schools falling into this category.

He said: "This is an over-reaction to an annual exercise on surplus places which has been carried out by central government for many years.

"There is no 'hit list' either nationally or locally. In a highly rural county, with many small schools, there will always be schools with 25pc surplus places, either because they serve isolated communities or because the schools are so small that 25pc is less than one classroom in size. In North Yorkshire we will monitor surplus capacity in our schools but we look at many more factors than just pure numbers."

Darlington Borough Council is reported to have three schools dealing with a 25pc surplus.

A council spokesman said: "A falling birth rate is having an effect on rolls in primary schools, and eventually will have a knock-on effect for secondary schools.

"We are setting up a scrutiny committee to consult with the head teachers of schools in the area and address the problem of falling rolls in the area. Having fewer schools is one option, but it is certainly not the first option."