The Katateeb Al-Bidoon Initiative: Repurposing the Past to Build a Transformative Future

The Katateeb al-Bidoon initiative was an after-school teach-in combined with a series of government protests against the sudden expulsion of stateless Bidoon children from any official Kuwait school. Considered illegal residents, the Bidoon status in Kuwait has deteriorated over the past generation, and their exclusion from Kuwait society is nearly complete. Regardless, many educational activists and teachers still continue to support Bidoon access to education, and the Katateeb al-Bidoon initiative is one example of their work. The name Katateeb refers to the archaic casual school system that was prevalent in Kuwait before the era of oil urbanization. Though its lifespan was one brief semester, from October 2014 to February 2015, a close examination of the initiative provides insight into how an improvised pedagogy based on an educational model from the past can develop beyond expectations and support a transformative future.