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This study examines how teachers in Basic Community schools in rural Nepal, a non-colonised country where English has no historical administrative roots, experience, interpret, and enact English medium instruction (EMI) policy. A qualitative inquiry approach was employed, utilising semi-structured interviews and classroom observations to collect data from teachers. Findings indicate that schools’ independent decision to adopt EMI in non-English-speaking multilingual contexts presents challenges for teachers, complicating their professional practice. Despite low English proficiency among both teachers and students, schools’ EMI policy raises concerns about curriculum goal achievement. While the intention of these community schools to attract more students by implementing EMI, akin to private schools, may seem appealing, the approach appears counterproductive regarding competencies intended to be developed in students, and the performance schools aim to demonstrate through students’ exam results. EMI policy promotes social injustice and educational inequality within rural multilingual communities. Findings highlight linguistic and pedagogical challenges faced by teachers, raising serious concerns about career injustice. This study presents three key theoretical contributions: career injustice, which refers to marginalisation based on English proficiency rather than pedagogical competence; performative compliance with substantive resistance, where superficial EMI protects jobs while undermining policy goals; and within-school institutional hierarchies, characterised by the devaluation of local language teachers in English versus Nepali blocks. This study offers insights for policymakers and other stakeholders, encouraging them to engage in comprehensive dialogue and analyse sociolinguistic contexts before adopting a specific medium of instruction, including EMI, in schools.
