The Struggle and Unheard Reality of EdTech in Nepal: A Furious Call for Change
By Shraddhesh Acharya, Founder of EShikshalaya – Edtech Nepal
It has been a relentless battle. A constant struggle to fight for the cause of education in Nepal, especially through the powerful medium of EdTech. When I embarked on this journey in 2021, my mission was simple: to provide affordable, fast, and effective learning opportunities for every Nepali student, regardless of their background, location, or socio-economic status. But what I’ve learned over these few years is nothing short of a painful and frustrating reality.
The unfortunate truth is that we, as a society, have become entranced by the wrong elements. Instead of embracing the transformative power of online education, people in Nepal are choosing to waste their hard-earned money on online betting platforms. A vicious cycle has taken root where a significant portion of the population seems to care more about the fleeting rush of online gambling than investing in their future through education. It is infuriating! Every time I watch a young mind get caught up in these traps, a part of me dies because I know how much potential is being squandered for no reason at all.
Why is it that the nation, which has so much talent, is drawn to these dangerous distractions? How can we, as a society, expect to thrive when the focus is so far removed from building knowledge, skills, and the mental fortitude needed to succeed in the modern world?
Here’s the harsh reality: the online betting industry is thriving while education, especially EdTech, is getting crushed under the weight of skepticism and ignorance. The number of young people pouring money into betting apps—gambling away their dreams, their potential, their future—is growing at an alarming rate. And yet, when I talk about EdTech, about online learning platforms that can help develop skills, enhance academic knowledge, and provide opportunities for personal growth, the response is often ridicule, apathy, or outright rejection. The question that echoes in my mind every day is: Why is online betting more appealing than online education?
Nepal has a deep-rooted problem that stretches back years, and now it has worsened in the digital age. We are stuck in the trap of “get rich quick” thinking—a mindset that convinces people that winning a few thousand rupees in a bet is more worthwhile than investing in years of learning that will build a solid foundation for the future. And what’s worse is the growing tendency to unlearn. With every wrong choice, every moment spent chasing easy money, the path of self-development is becoming harder to navigate.
When we talk about education in Nepal, schools and colleges are often pointed to as the pillars of knowledge and learning. But here’s the bitter pill: these institutions, which should be nurturing growth, have become the bottlenecks to progress. Despite their potential, these institutions are slow, inflexible, and not designed to meet the rapid demands of modern education. They are stuck in outdated systems, unwilling to innovate, and often resistant to change. Instead of empowering students with the tools they need for real-world success, they burden them with irrelevant content, archaic teaching methods, and a rigid framework that doesn’t align with the needs of today’s digital world.
We, at EShikshalaya, have seen the struggle firsthand. In 2021, we began with the hope that we could change the narrative. We believed that we could provide students with the tools they needed to excel—not just in exams but in life. We envisioned a system where academic content and skills-based learning could complement each other, enabling fast and affordable learning for all. But every day has been a battle. We’ve fought against the disbelief, the reluctance to change, and the suffocating grip of outdated educational systems.
But despite all this, we still stand firm. We continue our mission because we believe in the power of EdTech to transform lives. It is not just about getting a degree anymore; it’s about acquiring skills—digital literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking—that are essential for survival in this fast-paced, ever-evolving world. The reality is that EdTech can provide an affordable, scalable, and efficient alternative to the outdated educational structures that plague our nation. Online courses can reach students in the remotest areas of Nepal, helping them learn at their own pace, without the barriers of geography or expensive tuition.
Imagine the power of this opportunity. A student in a village in the far western region can access the same quality of education as someone in Kathmandu. A mother working in the fields can learn digital marketing, bookkeeping, or data science from the comfort of her home. A teenager can learn coding, design, or entrepreneurship without the need to attend a brick-and-mortar institution. The power of online education is limitless, and it’s only a matter of time before we see a massive shift in how people approach learning—if we can break through the current mindset.
The problem is simple: People are more likely to invest in the next “big win” from online betting than they are to invest a single rupee into their own personal development. It is maddening. We need to change this mindset, and we need to start now. We need to show the people of Nepal that real wealth is not in the fleeting high of a win from a gambling app, but in the lifelong dividends that education can offer. The problem is not that EdTech is ineffective or irrelevant; the problem is that we haven’t yet been able to shift the mindset of the masses.
We need a movement. A movement that helps people understand that spending money on skills-based courses, on personal development, on academic advancement is an investment in their future. Not just a pipe dream, but a reality that can be achieved.
If this country is to rise above its current stagnation, if we are to truly harness the potential of our young population, we must invest in EdTech. We must believe that education is the most powerful tool we have to reshape this nation. EdTech is the answer, and it’s time that the people of Nepal stopped betting on the wrong things and started betting on themselves.
It’s time for change. It’s time for Nepal to rise. It’s time for EdTech to lead the way.
