Finding paid teaching jobs in Nepal is as easy as a “1-2-3”. Since Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, especially after the recent earthquakes in mid-2015, education can go a long way in helping to lighten the burden of poverty for locals. Nepal also has a low literacy rate, among both adults and children, compared with the rest of the world, and the literacy rate is especially low for women and girls. Primary education is very highly valued in Nepal, but hard to find in more rural areas where there are larger populations of low-income families (who are usually the most needy).
International teachers are in high demand across the country to teach basic English lessons, including speaking, reading, and writing skills. Since English language skills are becoming a necessary survival skill in today’s growing, globalizing job market, most teaching placements in Nepal involve teaching English as a foreign language. You can even find opportunities to teach English to Buddhist monks in Nepal. In general, knowing how to speak English will open up a whole world of opportunities for all Nepalese students, so you will be leaving a long-term impact on your pupils, no matter what their future holds.
Most individuals who choose to teach in Nepal will have the luxury of a classroom assistant to help them communicate with their students. Although knowing Nepali isn’t a prerequisite for most teaching jobs in Nepal, having a few key phrases in your back pocket and making an effort to pick up as much Nepali as you can will show students your dedication to connecting with them. Building relationships with your students will surely be easier if you meet them halfway, and your efforts to learn their language should inspire them to work just as hard in the classroom to learn English. You will quickly find, while teaching in Nepal, that learning is very much a two-way street; your students will likely learn as much from you as you will from them.
Some teaching jobs in Nepal require teachers to be TEFL certified, while others positions are more lax with a handful of minimum requirements. If you do not want to teach English in Nepal, then it is also possible to teach other subjects, like math and science.
The school year in Nepal begins in September. In general, Nepalese schools have shorter summer breaks and many more religious holidays off than most Western school systems.
