The Allahabad High Court on Monday upheld the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to pair primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students with nearby institutions, dismissing petitions challenging the move.
Justice Pankaj Bhatia delivered the verdict after reserving the order last Friday on two writ petitions filed by Krishna Kumari and others. The petitioners had sought to quash the state government’s June 16 directive, arguing it infringed upon children’s constitutional right to education under Article 21A.
Appearing for the petitioners, advocates L.P. Mishra and Gaurav Mehrotra contended that the state’s action could force children to travel farther for schooling, thus denying them access to education in their immediate neighbourhoods. They urged that instead of reducing the number of functional schools, the government should work to improve infrastructure and teaching quality to increase enrollment.
The counsel also alleged that the decision reflected a focus on administrative convenience and cost-cutting rather than the welfare of students.
However, the state, represented by Additional Advocate General Anuj Kudesia, Chief Standing Counsel Shailendra Singh, and senior advocate Sandeep Dixit, defended the move. They clarified that the policy involved “pairing” schools and not closing them, with no primary school being permanently shut down.
Citing official records, the government’s counsel noted that several schools in the state had extremely low or no enrollment. The pairing initiative, they argued, complied with existing rules and aimed at better resource utilization and educational delivery without legal infirmity.
The court found merit in the government’s arguments and declined to interfere with the policy, effectively allowing the implementation of the school pairing model across Uttar Pradesh.
