Nepali primary school teachers’ response to national educational reform

The ongoing reform of the Nepali education system is guided by the commitment of Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to improve educational outcomes through alignment with international educational policy. The reform goals require Nepali teachers to change their classroom practices to become child-friendly, flexible, and responsive to students’ needs. Evaluation reports describe Nepali teachers’ response as limited but do not explain the reasons why, do not contain the voices of Nepali teachers, and do not indicate whether Nepali teachers’ beliefs align with the reform goals. This article reports the findings of a mixed-methods research project conducted with Nepali teachers. It shows the close alignment between Nepali teachers’ beliefs and the reform goals and then examines the factors that Nepali teachers report have limited their response to change. These factors center around endemic issues of instability and inequity within the Nepali context. The article also outlines teachers’ recommendations for stability and equitable strategies.