Kabul, Feb 26 : The Afghan caretaker government's ministry of education has identified and annulled 700 "ghost schools" across the country, the spokesman for the ministry Mansour Ahmad Hamza said.

"The ministry of education has culled up to 700 'ghost schools' from official lists since the government took power more than two years ago," the local Television channel Tolonews quoted the official on Monday as saying

Xinhua news agency reported that during the previous U.S.-backed regime in Afghanistan, "ghost" schools, teachers, students, soldiers and police personnel existed as a pretext to enable those at the helm to earn money illegally from the foreign donors.

Based on the information of the ministry of education, over 18,000 primary, secondary and high schools are operating in Afghanistan where 260,000 teachers are currently working, the report added.

/IANS