LUCKNOW, July 5 -- There seems to be no looking back for the U.P. basic education department on its decision on the merger or pairing of primary and upper primary schools where enrolment is less than 50 students, an official said.

The state government is hopeful that their counsel has presented the government's side well before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court that has reserved the judgment for Monday.

"If we start the proposed pre-nursery or kindergarten schools for children before the age of 6, our students will be better prepared when they go to class 1," an official said.

Defending its decision, a senior official on Saturday clarified that only the policy of pairing is being implemented and not to close schools. This p...