Teaching Without Training: A Risky Policy Shift in Nepal

At a time when the global demand for qualified, trained, and competent teachers is growing, Nepal’s lawmakers are paradoxically considering waiving the mandatory teacher education requirement. The Parliamentary Committee on Education, Health, and Information Technology has agreed to allow graduates from any field to take the teacher licensing exam—a pathway historically reserved for education graduates. If enacted by Parliament, this provision will challenge the gatekeeping role of education colleges and open teaching to many non-education graduates. Unlike professions such as law, medicine, or engineering, teaching is often subject to administrative or political decisions. This is not the first time that the teaching profession in Nepal has faced such a predicament. This article explores the factors that make the teaching profession vulnerable to forces that undermine its identity and autonomy and makes a case for reconsidering the proposed policy.