Zoom for Education in Nepal: Complete Guide for Online Learning in 2026

Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally transformed how educational institutions in Nepal deliver learning. During the lockdown period, almost every student was engaged in online classes, with Zoom emerging as the most commonly used platform. Starting as an emergency response, the Zoom for Education plan has evolved into a permanent fixture for education in Nepal.

Teachers across Nepal have visualized a hybrid model of pedagogy after the pandemic, combining face-to-face and online teaching rather than returning to 100% physical classrooms. With approximately 49,000 schools, 301,000 teachers, and over 7.5 million students from school to university levels, the demand for reliable video conferencing solutions has never been higher.

Why Zoom Has Become the #1 Platform for Online Learning in Nepal

The Shift to Hybrid and Remote Learning

Nepal’s government mandated the closure of all educational institutions on March 19, 2020, affecting an estimated 8.2 million students. This unprecedented situation forced educational institutions to adopt digital solutions rapidly. Universities, schools, and other educational institutions in Nepal have started offering online classes using various ICT tools, such as Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams, with Zoom proving to be particularly effective for video conferencing and distance learning.

The impact extended across all educational levels. Among affected students, 11% were from pre-primary level, 28% from primary level, 39% from secondary level, and 5% from tertiary education. This massive disruption accelerated Nepal’s digital education transformation by at least five years.

Why Nepali Institutions Prefer Zoom Over Alternatives

Nepal’s educational institutions face unique infrastructure challenges. According to the Economic Survey, among 29,707 public schools, only 8,366 have computers. Yet, 90.56% of Nepal’s population has access to the internet, primarily through mobile devices. This mobile-first reality makes Zoom’s excellent smartphone app performance critical.

Key advantages for Nepal:

• Low Bandwidth Performance: Works reliably on 2-5 Mbps connections, essential when an overwhelming number of Nepalese rely on mobile data to access the internet
• Mobile-First Design: With 60% and over students using smartphones for learning, Zoom’s mobile app outperforms competitors
• Simple Interface: Teachers with limited tech skills can start teaching within minutes
• Reliable Audio Quality: Clear voice transmission even on unstable connections
• Local Support: Available through authorized Zoom partners in Nepal like ThinkMove Solutions

The Cost of Using Free Zoom Accounts

The free Zoom Basic plan imposes a 40-minute limit on group meetings, severely disrupting educational continuity. A typical 45-60 minute class gets interrupted just as students engage with the material, forcing teachers to restart sessions and students to rejoin repeatedly.

Beyond the time limitation, free accounts lack:

• Attendance tracking and reporting
• Advanced security controls for student safety
• Centralized admin management for schools
• Cloud recording for absent students
• Professional institutional credibility

For schools conducting 4-6 classes daily, these interruptions waste precious instructional time and create frustration for both teachers and students.

What Is Zoom for Education?

Zoom for Education vs Regular Zoom Plans

Zoom for Education offers educational institutions significant advantages over standard business plans:

Academic Discount Pricing: 30-50% off standard commercial rates, making professional video conferencing affordable for schools operating on tight budgets.

Education-Specific Features: Direct integration with Learning Management Systems like Moodle, Google Classroom, and Canvas, platforms already used by many Nepali universities.

Volume Licensing: Simplified licensing for institutions with 10-200+ faculty members, with centralized billing and management.

Priority Support: Faster response times for technical issues affecting classes.

Data Protection Compliance: Built-in safeguards for student data privacy, critical when teaching minors.

Who Qualifies for Zoom Education Plans in Nepal?

Eligible Institutions: 

→Government and private schools (K-12)
→Colleges and universities
→Technical training institutes
→Coaching and entrance preparation centers
→EdTech platforms and online course providers
→NGOs with educational programs
→Professional training organizations

Verification Requirements:

• Valid educational institution registration with the Ministry of Education
• School/college email domain or official documentation
• PAN/VAT registration for invoicing purposes

In the academic year 2024/25, Nepal has 35,447 schools, of which 27,298 (77.0%) are community and religious schools, and 8,149 (23.0%) are institutional schools. All qualify for educational pricing.

Why Licensed Accounts Matter for Educational Institutions

1. Unlimited Class Duration: No 40-minute interruptions disrupting learning flow
2. Centralized Control: Admin dashboard to manage all teacher accounts, set policies, and monitor usage
3. Enhanced Security: Protect student data with advanced security features and compliance tools
4. Professional Credibility: Official educational accounts build trust with parents and students
5. Scalability: Seamlessly grow from 100 to 1,000+ students as your institution expands

Need general business Zoom plans? View enterprise options.

Essential Zoom Features for Online and Hybrid Classrooms

These features transform Zoom from a simple video conferencing tool into a complete virtual classroom platform, addressing specific teaching and learning needs in Nepal’s educational context.

1. Breakout Rooms for Group Activities

Breakout Rooms allow teachers to split large classes into smaller discussion groups, which is essential for maintaining engagement when class sizes reach 50-100 students.

Educational Uses:

• Small group discussions (5-6 students per room)
• Project collaboration sessions
• Language practice pairs for various subjects
• Peer review activities
• Differentiated instruction based on student ability

Nepal Context: With an average student-to-school ratio of 205.80 for basic to secondary level, class sizes can be large. Breakout rooms are essential for personalized attention.

2. Attendance Tracking & Reporting

Automatic recording of who joined each class, when they arrived, and how long they participated—critical for institutional accountability.

Why It Matters:

• Meet institutional attendance requirements
• Monitor student participation patterns
• Easy CSV export for student information systems
• Identify students at risk of falling behind
• Provide documentation for parents and administrators

Reports Include:

• Join time and leave time (to the second)
• Total duration in meeting (minutes and seconds)
• Name verification against the class roster
• Late arrivals and early departures
• Attendance percentage calculated over time

3. Cloud Recording & Local Storage

Save complete class sessions for students who missed live classes or need to review material for exams.

Storage Options:

Cloud Recording: Stored on Zoom’s servers, accessible via shareable link. Students can watch from any device without downloading large files, which is ideal for those with limited smartphone storage.

Local Recording: Saved directly to the teacher’s computer. Provides complete control over distribution but requires sufficient hard drive space.

Educational Benefits:

• Revision material for board exams (SEE, +2)
• Accommodate sick or absent students
• Build a content library for future batches
• Train new teachers using recorded exemplary lessons
• Parent transparency (share recordings for review)

Best Practice: Record to the cloud for easy distribution; use local recording as backup for sensitive content.

4. Interactive Whiteboard & Annotation Tools

Digital blackboard functionality allows teachers to draw, write, and explain visually, which proves to be essential for subjects like mathematics, science, and languages.

Features:

• Draw diagrams, equations, and geometric shapes
• Type text in multiple fonts and sizes
• Insert shapes, arrows, and connectors
• Multiple colors for clarity
• Allow students to annotate collaboratively
• Save the whiteboard as an image for sharing

Perfect For:

• Mathematics problem-solving and equation derivation
• Science diagrams (biology, chemistry, physics)
• Language teaching (grammar trees, sentence structure)
• Brainstorming sessions with student input
• Visual learning for students who struggle with audio-only instruction

5. Screen Sharing with Annotation

Share your computer screen while teaching, allowing students to see exactly what you’re demonstrating.

Use Cases:

• Present PowerPoint slides with lecture notes
• Demonstrate software (critical for computer science classes)
• Show educational videos or animations
• Navigate websites together for research skills
• Display PDF textbooks or documents

Advanced Feature: Students can annotate shared screens in real-time, excellent for marking errors during grammar lessons or highlighting important points during lectures.

6. Polls & Quizzes for Interactive Learning

Real-time polling keeps students engaged and provides instant feedback on comprehension.

Educational Applications:

• Quick comprehension checks after explaining concepts
• Collect student opinions for discussion topics
• Anonymous feedback (“Did you understand this section?”)
• Pre-assessment before introducing new topics
• Gamification through quiz competitions

Results: Instant visualization shows response distribution, helping teachers identify concepts needing clarification.

7. Waiting Room & Host Controls (Classroom Security)

Students wait in a virtual lobby until the teacher admits them individually. This is critical for classroom safety and preventing disruptions.

Security Benefits:

• Verify student identity before granting access
• Prevent unauthorized users or strangers from joining
• Control the exact timing of student entry
• Remove disruptive participants permanently
• Lock the meeting once all enrolled students arrive

This feature is particularly important for schools teaching younger students or conducting examinations online.

8. Scheduled & Recurring Classes

Set up repeating meeting links for an entire semester, eliminating daily technical overhead.

Benefits:

• Same Zoom link for all Monday 9 AM Mathematics classes
• Students save the link once and reuse it all term
• No confusion about changing daily meeting IDs
• Dramatically reduces technical support burden
• Appears automatically in teachers’ and students’ calendars

Setup: Schedule → Recurring meeting → Select frequency (daily/weekly/monthly) → Save

9. One-Click Join for Students

Students simply click a link and enter directly without complicated registration or account creation.

Why It Matters in Nepal: Teachers’ poor digital skills prevent them from delivering effective learning, and delivering learning to homes has been challenging in under-resourced contexts. One-click joining reduces the technical barrier for both teachers and students.

Advantages:

• Reduces join time from 5 minutes (with account creation) to 30 seconds
• Works on any device, including phone, laptop, or tablet
• No need to remember or type meeting IDs
• Eliminates password confusion
• Students can join even without the Zoom app (via browser)

10. LMS Integration (Moodle, Google Classroom, Canvas)

Connect Zoom with your existing Learning Management System for seamless operation.

Benefits:

• Launch Zoom classes directly from LMS course pages
• Automatically sync attendance data back to LMS
• Embed class recordings in course modules
• Single sign-on reduces login friction for students

Supported Platforms: Moodle, Google Classroom, Canvas, Blackboard—platforms used by major Nepali universities, including Tribhuvan University (hosting over 75% of the country’s 441,789 university students), Pokhara University, Purbanchal University, and Kathmandu University.

How Different Educational Institutions Use Zoom in Nepal

Primary & Secondary Schools (K-12)

Common Applications:

• Daily online classes across all subjects (Mathematics, Science, English, Nepali, Social Studies)
• Hybrid learning (some students physically in the classroom, others joining remotely)
• Parent-teacher meetings are conducted virtually, increasing participation
• Teacher training and professional development sessions
• Virtual school assemblies and special events
• Remedial classes for struggling students
• Make-up classes for absent students due to illness or family obligations

Key Features Used:

• Breakout rooms for small group work
• Waiting room for student verification and security
• Cloud recording for student revision
• Interactive whiteboard for visual teaching

Typical Setup:

• 15-30 teacher licenses (depending on school size)
• 200-300 participant capacity for assemblies
• Moderate cloud storage (500GB-1TB)

In Nepal, 7,468 schools (21.1% of total) offer Grades 1 to 10, while 3,953 schools (11.2%) provide education up to Grade 12. These institutions form the backbone of Nepal’s educational system.

Colleges & Universities

Common Applications:

• Large lecture halls accommodating 100-500 students
• Department seminars and research presentations
• Faculty meetings and academic committee discussions
• Guest lectures from international experts via video link
• Master’s and PhD thesis defenses
• Student organization meetings and activities
• Hybrid classrooms combining in-person and remote students

Key Features Used:

• Large meeting capacity (500-1,000 participants)
• Cloud recording for building lecture archives
• Breakout rooms for tutorial sessions and group projects
• Live polls for in-lecture assessments and engagement
• Deep LMS integration with Moodle or Canvas

Typical Setup:

• 50-150 faculty licenses
• 500-1,000 participant capacity
• High cloud storage needs (2TB-5TB or unlimited)

Tribhuvan University alone enrolls over 330,000 students, followed by Pokhara University with 30,542 students and Purbanchal University with 27,527 students. These large institutions require enterprise-grade solutions.

Coaching & Entrance Preparation Institutes

Common Applications:

• Live entrance exam coaching (IOE entrance, MBBS entrance, CMAT, LSAT, SAT)
• Real-time doubt-clearing sessions after recorded lectures
• Mock test discussions and performance analysis
• Strategy sessions for exam preparation
• Multiple batch management (morning/afternoon/evening/weekend batches)
• Recorded content library for student revision
• One-on-one mentoring for personalized attention

Key Features Used:

• Recurring class schedules for consistent timing
• Cloud recording with batch content reuse
• Attendance tracking for accountability and payment verification
• Interactive polls for quick practice quizzes
• Breakout rooms for personalized doubt sessions

Typical Setup:

• 10-20 instructor licenses
• 300 participant capacity (sufficient for most coaching batches)
• High recording storage (1TB-3TB) for content library

Entrance coaching is a massive industry in Nepal, with thousands of students competing annually for limited seats in prestigious programs.

Training Institutes (Professional Development)

Common Applications:

• Skill-based training (IT certification, English language, soft skills)
• Corporate training delivery for employee development
• Professional certification courses (accounting, project management)
• Continuing education programs for working professionals

Key Features Used:

• Breakout rooms for hands-on practice and exercises
• Screen sharing for software demonstrations
• Cloud recording for certificate verification and compliance
• Detailed attendance reports for training compliance

Is Zoom Safe for Students?

Quick Answer: Yes, when properly configured with education-specific security settings enabled.

Understanding Zoom’s Security Features

Built-in Protection:

• End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for all meetings
• Secure data centers with geographic redundancy
• GDPR and FERPA compliance for student data protection
• Regular security audits and vulnerability patching
• Industry-standard password protection and authentication

Essential Security Settings for Schools

Before Every Class:

1. Enable Waiting Room: Review each student’s identity before admitting them
2. Set Meeting Password: Share only with enrolled students via secure channels
3. Lock Meeting: Once all students join, prevent new entries
4. Disable Screen Sharing: Set to “Host Only” to prevent disruptions
5. Mute Upon Entry: All students start muted, reducing initial chaos

During Class: 

6. Monitor Participant List: Watch for unauthorized users or suspicious activity 
7. Suspend Activities: Emergency “freeze” button stops all participant actions 
8. Remove & Block: Permanently eject disruptive participants 
9. Disable Private Chat: For younger students, prevents cyberbullying

After Class: 

10. Review Recordings: Check for inappropriate behavior or incidents 
11. Control Recording Access: Never make recordings publicly accessible

Age-Appropriate Security Measures

For Primary Students (Age 5-12): 

→Strict waiting room enforcement with identity verification
→Disable all student interactions (chat, screen sharing, annotations)
→Teacher-controlled environment only
→Recommend parent supervision during classes
→Shorter class durations (30-40 minutes maximum)

For Secondary Students (Age 13-18): 

→Waiting room enabled with standard verification
→Allow monitored chat with teacher approval
→Enable the hand-raise feature for participation
→Use breakout rooms with periodic teacher monitoring
→Implement a clear code of conduct with consequences

For College Students (Age 18+): 

→Password protection is generally sufficient
→Full interaction features enabled
→Emphasize student responsibility and academic integrity
→Obtain explicit recording consent at session start

Protecting Student Privacy

Data Minimization:

• Collect only necessary information (name, email, student ID)
• Avoid recording personally identifiable information unnecessarily
• Consider using generic display names (Student ID numbers instead of full names)

Recording Consent:

• Inform students at class start: “This session is being recorded.”
• Obtain written parental consent for recording minors
• Store recordings securely with access restricted to authorized personnel only
• Delete recordings after their educational purpose expires

Third-Party Access Prevention:

• Never share Zoom links publicly on social media or websites
• Use registration forms to control who receives meeting links
• Regularly update passwords (weekly or bi-weekly)
• Revoke access for withdrawn or graduated students

Bandwidth Requirements & Tips for Stable Classes

Minimum Internet Speed Requirements

For Teachers (Hosting):

• Minimum: 3 Mbps upload / 3 Mbps download
• Recommended: 5 Mbps upload / 5 Mbps download
• Optimal: 10+ Mbps upload / 10+ Mbps download

For Students (Attending):

• Minimum: 1.5 Mbps download
• Recommended: 3 Mbps download
• For HD Video: 3.8 Mbps download

Nepal Context: Most major ISPs (WorldLink, Vianet, Subisu, ClassicTech) offer plans ranging from 20-100 Mbps, which exceed Zoom’s requirements. However, actual speeds can vary significantly based on location and network congestion.

Wondering if you should buy Zoom directly? Check out our blog on why it’s better to buy Zoom locally.

ThinkMove Solutions: Your Local Zoom Education Partner in Nepal

What Makes ThinkMove Different?

1. Local VAT/PAN Compliant Billing

• Official VAT invoices in Nepali Rupees (NPR)
• PAN registration for institutional accounting requirements
• Recognized by Nepal’s tax authorities (IRD)
• No foreign currency transaction complications or conversion fees

2. Flexible Local Payment Options

• Direct bank transfer to any Nepali commercial bank
• eSewa payment gateway integration
• Khalti digital wallet support (where applicable)
• Institutional purchase orders accepted with credit terms
• Flexible payment schedules for budget-constrained schools

3. Dedicated Educational Support

• Nepali-speaking technical support team
• Deep understanding of Nepal’s education system structure
• Same-day response times during school hours

4. Complete Onboarding & Training

• Admin panel configuration and setup assistance
• Teacher training sessions (online or on-site at your institution)
• Customized training based on your teachers’ tech proficiency
• Ongoing support throughout the entire license period

5. Faster Implementation

• No waiting for international approval processes
• Same-day or next-day license activation
• Nepal Time Zone support (GMT+5:45) during business hours
• Immediate troubleshooting without time zone delays

6. Consultancy for Large Institutions

• Capacity planning: How many licenses does your school actually need?
• Feature recommendations based on specific use cases
• Integration planning with existing LMS and student information systems
• Hardware recommendations for hybrid classroom setups
• Network optimization consultation for bandwidth-constrained campuses

Our Experience with Educational Institutions

Proven Track Record:

• Portfolio includes colleges, universities, and consultancies
• High customer satisfaction and renewal rates exceeding 90%
• Long-term partnerships with institutions since 2020

Educational Institutions We Serve

Our Client Base Includes:

• Medical colleges conducting MBBS and BDS programs
• +2 colleges of various streams and faculties
• MBA and management institutes affiliated with various universities
• Entrance coaching centers for competitive exams
• Language training institutes (English, Japanese, Korean)
• Professional certification bodies and corporate training providers
• EdTech startups and online course creators

Ready to Transform Your Institution’s Online Learning?

Contact ThinkMove Solutions today for:

✓ Free consultation tailored to your institution’s specific needs
✓ Custom quote based on actual requirements, not generic packages
✓ Live demo session for decision-makers and key faculty
✓ No obligation, no pressure sales approach