| Summary: | There is an intense discourse on the adaptation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to deliver equity in education for all children including marginalised ones. However, the structural barriers faced by Dalit children remained unaddressed in the education system of Nepal. In this backdrop, structural barriers for Dalit children in education and the perception of the policymakers to hold the transformative promise true are central concerns of this study. The study used interpretive research by applying a rigorous review of education policies and in-depth interviews to understand the perceptions and positions of policymakers that are linked to the theories of transformative education and power. The findings revealed that the education policies and their implementation failed to hold the transformative promise of Leave No One Behind (LNOB) in addressing structural barriers and promoting the indigenous knowledge and skills of Dalits. Likewise, the promise for equitable education opportunities has been affected by the policy chaos and divergence of the LNOB spirit which compromises attaining the SDG4 promise. Thus, there are areas that need more conceptual and operational clarity on the key principle of LNOB, especially for the transformative education of Dalits in Nepal.
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