A research conducted in ten districts revealed that academically bright girls do not choose teaching as their profession. The UNESCO-funded report “Status of female teachers in Nepal” by educationist Dr Min Bahadur Bista found that a mere two per cent of the lady teachers in public schools have passed the SLC in first division. The study also revealed that 46 per cent of female staff in the schools is engaged in cleaning and secondary administrative activities and around 87 per cent have cooking as their main responsibility. In addition, the report added the female staffs are subjected to regular sexual harassments. This goes to prove how unfortunate the girls of this country still are as female education has not yet received priority in the society. Even the small percentage of the female teachers seldom receive any formal training to enhance their skills and their family constraints compel them to quit their jobs if they are asked to go and teach in the remote villages. Given such stark revelations, one can easily say that even in the 21st century a conservative family culture is moulding the Nepali women’s professional life.

Women should be encouraged and given equal opportunity in all professions, including teaching. For this, it is imperative that the state and the non-government agencies focused on advancement of girl-child education throughout the country. At the same time, the government must set a minimum qualification criteria for both male and female teachers at all levels for both private and public schools in order to upgrade the quality of education. However, it is futile to take SLC result as a criterion because given the irregularities seen in the SLC exams, it can hardly be the yardstick to judge the aptitude and capability of a prospective teacher. Also, it has to be remembered that every degree holder and “academically bright” pupil does not automatically make a good teacher. A successful career is based on a person’s interest, instinct and talent, and it is on these qualities an employee’s proficiencies have to be judged. In the West, professionals go by the theory of “perform and prove.” But given the narrow-mindedness and malpractices, Nepalis do not want to accept the said practice at home. It seems that only a radical change in the mindset of the people can help women grow in professional terms.