Lucknow, Nov. 20 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has asked the state and officials of the basic education department to continue to abide by guidelines indicated in the order/circular dated August 27 issued by the basic education department in connection with the merger of primary schools run by the department. With this, the high court disposed of all special appeals filed in the matter. The special appeals had challenged a July 7, 2025 order of a single-judge bench of the high court, which had dismissed the petitions challenging the state government's June 16,2025 order for merger of primary schools. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh passed the present order on November 17 disposing of the special appeals. The chief standing counsel for the state Shailendra Kumar Singh filed a short reply placing on record the order/circular dated August 27, 2025 issued by the additional chief secretary. The August 27 order/circular had ordered for unpairing of schools where the number of students was more than 50 and the distance between the two schools was more than 1 km. The state counsel placed another communication dated October 13, 2025 indicating that pursuant to the order/circular dated August 27, 2025, pairing has been done only in schools where the number of students was less than 50. The aspect pertaining to the schools being situated within 1 km was taken into consideration. "In view of the above fact situation, wherein affidavit, along with order/circular dated 27.08.2025, has been filed indicating the status of pairing, the exercise now apparently is in consonance with the (Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education) Act, 2009 and Rules framed thereunder," the court said. It ordered, "In view thereof, the special appeals are disposed of in light of the order/circular dated 27.08.2025 issued by the respondents. It would be required of the respondents to continue to abide by the said guidelines as indicated in the said order/circular while undertaking any exercise pertaining to pairing of the schools." On July 24, the high court had ordered to maintain the status quo on the merger of primary schools in Sitapur district and also pointed out that the interim order has nothing to do with the merit of the state government's policy and its implementation. On August 21, 2025, the court had fixed the next hearing of the case on September 1 and extended the interim order granted earlier till then. The high court had passed the order only for Sitapur district after it noticed certain glaring discrepancies with respect to merger of schools there during hearing of the case. The court had passed the order on July 24 on two petitions, one by five children and the other by 17 children from Sitapur district through their parents....