The journey of formal education in Nepal, which began in 1960 targeting children with disabilities, has now surpassed 65 years. Initially, welfare programs of the then Social Services and National Coordination Council laid the foundation, later expanding through the implementation of the Basic and Primary Education Project. The transition from limited special school practices to integrated schools and resource classrooms marked a shift from philanthropic ideas to a rights-based approach in special needs education. This transformation has played a crucial role in advancing inclusive education by moving away from segregating children with disabilities and instead fostering a system where both disabled and non-disabled children can receive quality education within the same school environment.
Following the United Nations’ initiative in 1990 to provide education for all, the Dakar Conference in 2000 set a framework for nations, including Nepal, to achieve this goal by 2015. Similarly, Nepal actively participated in the 1994 UNESCO-led World Conference in Salamanca, Spain, where 92 countries and 25 international organizations committed to expanding access to quality education for children with special needs. This marked Nepal’s formal entry into the era of inclusive education alongside the global community.
Nepal further strengthened its commitment by participating in the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), pledging efforts toward inclusive and quality education. Subsequently, Nepal’s parliament ratified the convention in 2009. In line with UNESCO’s coordination, the 2015 World Education Forum in Incheon, South Korea, set the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education by 2030. Nepal has since formulated and implemented action plans to achieve this target.
These efforts indicate Nepal’s dedication to providing quality education in an inclusive framework, encompassing children with disabilities and those in various disadvantaged conditions. Nepal has introduced legal measures such as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2017), the Compulsory and Free Education Act (2018), and the National Education Policy (2019), all aimed at ensuring inclusive and special education. The School Education Sector Plan has also been implemented to achieve inclusive and quality education by 2032.
Currently, over 35,000 students with disabilities, as defined by Nepalese law, are enrolled in special schools, resource classes, integrated schools, and mainstream schools. Recently, the government has initiated an intensive program to develop 13 schools across different provinces into model inclusive schools. With the implementation of federalism, provincial and local governments have also introduced inclusive education policies, reinforcing their commitment to ensuring quality education through inclusive practices.
Despite a 96.3% enrollment rate in primary-level education, children with severe and profound disabilities are still among those left out. Additionally, children with undiagnosed learning challenges, such as Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Learning Disabilities (LDs), often struggle without proper identification and support. Socioeconomic, cultural, linguistic, geographical, and health-related barriers further prevent many children from accessing quality learning opportunities. Many students drop out of school due to these factors, even if they initially enroll.
The lack of inclusive teaching methods has impacted learning achievements, with subject-based learning outcomes remaining below 50%, and the pass rates in SEE and grade 12 examinations also failing to exceed 50%. Classrooms have students with diverse learning abilities, requiring inclusive strategies that provide multiple learning options. Inclusive education promotes personalized learning, which demands strategic, skilled, and technical approaches. Utilizing adapted curricula and emerging information and communication technology (ICT) tools is essential to making learning accessible. Consequently, teachers trained in inclusive education are not only necessary for schools with students with disabilities but for all schools to ensure effective inclusion. Enhancing the capacity of existing teachers through academic programs, pre-service, and in-service training is imperative.
Inclusive education educators are essential in all Nepalese schools to address the nation’s diverse socio-cultural and educational challenges. Nepal’s multifaceted diversity—encompassing ethnic groups, languages, disabilities, and entrenched caste and gender disparities—demands an educational approach that actively dismantles barriers to access. Many children, particularly those with disabilities or from marginalized communities, face exclusion due to inadequate infrastructure, untrained teachers, and rigid curricula. Inclusive educators are pivotal in transforming classrooms by training staff, adapting teaching methods, and advocating for accessible environments, aligning with Nepal’s post-2015 earthquake reconstruction efforts to rebuild inclusively. They also bridge policy and practice, ensuring compliance with Nepal’s inclusive education policies and international commitments like the SDGs. By fostering multilingual and culturally responsive pedagogy, they address language barriers and promote social cohesion in a society historically divided by caste and conflict. Ultimately, inclusive educators are catalysts for equity, reducing dropout rates, enhancing literacy, and nurturing a generation that values diversity, thereby advancing Nepal’s educational and societal development.
Although there has been a past shortage of academic programs and pre-service teacher training in inclusive education, universities in Nepal have now started offering these programs. On one hand, there is a demand for skilled professionals in schools; on the other, graduates with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in inclusive education remain unemployed. For example, Kathmandu University has been producing a significant number of graduates through its one-year diploma, postgraduate diploma, and master’s programs in inclusive and special needs education. Tribhuvan University offers bachelor’s, master’s, MPhil, and PhD programs, benefiting hundreds of students annually. Similarly, Mid-Western University and Far-Western University have undergraduate and postgraduate programs in this field, while Purbanchal University is preparing to introduce them. These efforts have raised significant hopes for inclusive and special education in Nepal.
The level of attention that the government should have given to the education of children with disabilities and neurodiversity has not yet been reached. As a result, we are witnessing the increasing involvement of the private sector in this sensitive area. Although the education of such children should be prioritized by the state and provided entirely free of cost, the absence of appropriate programs and initiatives from government agencies has compelled many parents to enroll their children in private institutions, despite the burden of high fees.
However, not all parents can afford the costly fees charged by private institutions for educating children with disabilities or neurodiverse conditions. In a context where the law has already mandated free and compulsory basic education, it is essential to ensure that children with such needs are also provided with quality education in schools close to their homes through multiple inclusive options.
On the other hand, local governments, which have been entrusted with the authority to establish, manage, and monitor schools, have—either knowingly or unknowingly—granted permission to open institutions of this kind without proper scrutiny. As a result, many of these schools fail to maintain minimum standards. The lack of trained human resources, inadequate services and facilities, and the tendency to interpret disability narrowly within the framework of the medical model have, knowingly or unknowingly, restricted the full rights of these children.
To bring about meaningful change, local governments must take proactive steps. It is essential to enforce mandatory provisions for minimum infrastructure, essential services, and qualified human resources in both newly established and existing institutions of this nature. Encouragingly, there is a gradual growth in the availability of skilled professionals in this sector, which presents an opportunity for sustainable improvement in service delivery.
Despite trained graduates entering the job market, a lack of clear policies in teacher recruitment has prevented them from entering schools as teachers. Therefore, there is a need to recognize inclusive education as a distinct subject and ensure that graduates in this field are eligible to compete for teaching licenses. Many of these graduates are qualified to teach various subjects at the school level. Thus, it is essential to create legal provisions allowing candidates with academic qualifications in inclusive education to compete in licensing exams, ensuring their integration into the teaching workforce.
