Introduction

The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has transformed educational practices worldwide, fostering innovative teaching and learning experiences (UNESCO, 2018). In developing countries like Nepal, however, ICT implementation remains uneven, particularly in rural community schools. Despite the government’s efforts to promote ICT in education through policies such as the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP, 2016–2023), the challenges in rural contexts continue to hinder its effective use. This study reflects on my personal and professional journey as both a learner and a teacher in Nepal’s community schools, focusing on the challenges of ICT implementation and the realities of the digital divide between rural and urban educational settings. I was born and raised in a rural village in Tanahun District, Nepal. My early education took place in a community school that lacked basic ICT infrastructure, including computers, projectors, and even electricity. Like many rural students, I completed my schooling without ever having seen or used a computer. My only exposure to ICT was through conversations among teachers, which made computers sound like distant, mysterious tools.

The lack of digital exposure during my schooling reflected a broader issue: Nepal’s rural-urban educational disparity, especially in access to technology. Several studies align with my own personal experience, whether as a student or a teacher in various schools. For example, a study by Joshi and Ayer (2024) found that most rural schools in Nepal still lack the infrastructure and training needed for ICT integration. Similarly, Phunyal (2024) reported that many community schools have computers but lack consistent electricity and internet facilities, making their use infrequent and symbolic rather than transformative. Similar challenges are echoed in Lomo et al. (2024) when they reported that insufficient funding, weak stakeholder support, training challenges, poor electricity and internet access, and high maintenance costs constrained head teachers’ efforts to support ICT integration in teaching and learning. It has been reported that teachers have poor ICT skills, schools have poor internet connectivity, and a lack of computers, which creates a significant challenge in its implications (Lamsal, 2022). This report aligns with my personal experience in using ICT in teaching and learning.

Transition to Higher Education and Exposure to ICT

 After completing my School Leaving Certificate (SLC), I moved to Pokhara for higher education. I passed intermediate without seeing computer use in the teaching and learning process. However, this transition marked a turning point in my educational journey. While pursuing my Bachelor’s degree, I joined a computer institute and completed a basic computer course. I also began teaching in a private school, where I observed the effective use of ICT in classrooms. Students were taken to the computer lab for a computer class, as well as being taught the contents through ICT tools.

Teachers used projectors, digital content, and multimedia presentations, and I noticed how students were more engaged and motivated. Their enthusiasm contrasted sharply with my own schooling experience. This observation deepened my understanding of the digital divide, a term referring to the unequal access to technology across social, geographical, and economic boundaries (Van Dijk, J., 2020). However, even in higher education, the integration of ICT was limited. Most lecturers relied on traditional lecture methods, highlighting a systemic gap in technology adoption even at the tertiary level.

ICT in Higher Education: A Source of Inspiration

During my master’s degree at Tribhuvan University, I experienced technology-enhanced learning environments for the first time. Professors used laptops, projectors, and digital resources to teach English, which significantly enhanced classroom engagement. They utilised ICT tools in preparing teaching materials and presentation slides, and employed these tools to involve students in group work. The most exciting thing I experienced was that they provided project work that required students to use computers in reporting the work. The ICT use really brightened up the classroom, ended boredom, enhanced students’ participation, and allowed students to explore the world of knowledge using technology. These experiences reinforced my belief that ICT could revolutionise teaching and learning if properly implemented. It inspired me to become an ICT-oriented teacher who could bring innovation into classroom instruction.

Research supports this realisation. According to Pun (2013), the use of ICT in teaching English promotes learner autonomy, motivation, and language exposure beyond textbooks. Similarly, Adhikari (2022) emphasises that teachers’ attitudes and digital competence play crucial roles in the success of ICT integration. Furthermore, Paudel (2021) argued that teacher professional development programs must include digital literacy and pedagogical training to ensure the sustainable use of ICT in schools.

Encountering Realities as a Teacher in Rural Community Schools

 My enthusiasm for using ICT faced harsh realities when I began teaching in a rural community school in Tanahun. The school lacked not only computers but also electricity. There was no internet connection, either. I had to depend on mobile data to connect to the internet. The mobile data was also poor. I was disappointed with the realities I confronted there at that time. I was just puzzled about how to integrate ICT in my real teaching without ICT tools at school. The classroom size was large. I had the responsibility of dealing with tech-savvy learners who were more interested in using technology in learning a language. I wanted to be a scuba diver, but the circumstances forced me to be helpless. There was also poor support from the administration in utilising ICT in teaching and learning. I talked to the head teacher and the SMC chairperson. They spoke of the financial challenges the school was facing. My colleagues were discussing the lack of opportunities for ICT training, despite their wishes. Only a few teachers are well-trained in ICT. I desperately wished for an appropriate policy at the local level to address the challenges of ICT implementation in the community school. My knowledge and training in ICT felt irrelevant in that context. Similarly, Rana (2018) and Paudel (2022) identify financial constraints, inadequate training, and the absence of institutional commitment as core barriers.

After four years, I was transferred to a secondary school at Bhimad, where the situation was slightly better; there were computers and projectors, but no internet connectivity and unreliable electricity. Moreover, most teachers were digitally illiterate. Even computer teachers conducted classes theoretically without hands-on practice. These challenges align with findings from Sharma (2020), who observed that many rural schools in Nepal possess ICT tools but lack effective usage due to insufficient training, irregular power supply, and a lack of maintenance support.

Current Teaching Experience and Continuing Challenges

Currently, I teach English at a community school in Tanahun. Despite my persistent efforts to integrate ICT tools into lessons, barriers remain. Limited resources, poor connectivity, and a lack of institutional support continue to restrict meaningful ICT use. I have maximised available tools, using personal mobile phones, recorded videos, and downloaded materials, but systematic integration remains out of reach.

This situation aligns with broader national findings that rural teachers face “second-order barriers”—attitudinal, skill-based, and policy-related constraints that prevent effective ICT use (Ertmer, 1999; Paudel, 2021). Dong, C. (2025) reported that teachers faced major obstacles in integrating ICT into their teaching, primarily because they lacked adequate ICT training and professional development Rana and Rana (2020) in the Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology observe that the implementation of ICT in rural Nepal is highly context-dependent, constrained by geography, socio-economic status, and policy support. The persistence of these issues reveals the urgent need for localised training, infrastructure investment, and policy follow-up. Their findings reinforce the idea that rural ICT integration requires systemic rather than individual-level solutions.

Reflections and Implications

My journey from a student deprived of ICT to a teacher striving for ICT integration reflects the systemic inequities in Nepal’s education system. The journey helped me come up with the idea of the challenges of ICT implementation and its corresponding measures. The lack of sufficient ICT resources, inadequate ICT-based training for teachers, inconsistent electricity supply, poor internet access, a lack of alternative sources of electricity, insufficient administrative support, and a lack of ICT skills are identified as the major challenges to the effective implementation of ICT in rural community schools in Nepal.  It underscores that ICT implementation is not merely a technological challenge but a socio-economic and policy issue.

These various experiences helped me to develop the insights to minimise the challenges. Conducting regular ICT training for teachers, promoting digital literacy among students and teachers alike, and community and local government participation in ICT initiatives. Schools must search for financial resources, and stakeholders need to provide administrative and technical support to mitigate the challenges that emerge with the effort to integrate ICT in teaching and learning, particularly in rural community schools. The findings also triggered changes in the policy-making and implementation aspects to seek a solution to the challenges observed. The majority of teachers who have not had the opportunity to learn ICT skills need to be provided with training for proper implementation of ICT in the language classroom, and ultimately to transform the traditional way of teaching to the recent ICT-integrated teaching.

Therefore, policymakers and educational leaders must consider various factors, such as strengthening infrastructure (including electricity and internet access) in rural schools, conducting regular ICT training for teachers, promoting digital literacy among both students and teachers, and encouraging community and local government participation in ICT initiatives. Furthermore, the SMC chairperson and head teachers should share equal responsibility for adopting technology in classroom teaching and learning. The teachers also need to be aware that the use of technology enhances the learning outcome, meeting the goal of quality education. Additionally, various tiers of government need to collaborate to address the challenges of implementing ICT in education. These governments need to formulate an appropriate IT policy and equally emphasise the implementation part. Moreover, these governments need to allocate a budget for infrastructural development and the management of ICT tools in schools. As UNESCO (2023) notes, equitable access to ICT is a key driver of inclusive and quality education. Without addressing the underlying barriers, the digital divide will continue to widen.

Conclusion

This reflective account highlights that ICT integration in rural community schools of Nepal remains a significant challenge despite policy intentions and teachers’ enthusiasm. The author’s experiences mirror those of many rural educators who aspire to innovate but are constrained by contextual limitations. Bridging this gap requires more than distributing devices; it demands sustained commitment to infrastructure development, teacher professional development, and community engagement. Only then can ICT truly transform education in rural Nepal.

 

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Author’ Bio: Mr. Janak Sigdel is an English teacher at  Chandra Jyoti Secondary School, Ghirhing, Tanahun. He is the Roster Trainer of the Education Training Centre, Gandaki Province. Currently, he is pursuing an MPhil from Nepal Open University. He can be reached at schoolchandrajyoti31@gmail.com.