Exploring the perceptions of informed individuals about the education provisions of Bidoun in Kuwait

Alhatlani, Mohammad S. M. B.

Abstract

This thesis explores issues of educational provision for people regarded by some as stateless, specifically the Bidoun in Kuwait, and how the Kuwaiti Government and others view this.

The main research question is what can be learned from the situation in Kuwait about the interpretation of Human Rights Conventions regarding the provision of education for the children of Bidoun (stateless people)? The principal research methods applied in this study are a comprehensive literature review on statelessness and related issues and interviews with informed personnel in Kuwait.

The findings are divided into two parts: the first illustrates a lack of knowledge among Kuwaiti officials concerning the International Conventions on rights for free education for every child. It considers how this lack of knowledge is intertwined with support for the primacy of domestic law and for the Government’s educational policies in respect to the Bidoun, even when these violated these Conventions. Activists demonstrate more knowledge about these conventions and promote a policy of tolerance in respect to educating this group, specifically in state schools.

The second part focuses on lessons for Kuwait from similar situations in comparable countries. Economic concerns lie behind marginalising this group since granting them citizenship would increase financial costs, especially in a Rentier state like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or the UAE. Xenophobia may belie the unwillingness to grant stateless people citizenship, especially if they originate from a minority religious denomination or a hostile country.

Citation

Alhatlani, M. S. M. B. (2018). Exploring the perceptions of informed individuals about the education provisions of Bidoun in Kuwait. (Thesis). University of Hull. Retrieved from https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4221160

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 10, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2023
• Keywords: Education
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4221160
• Additional Information: School of Education and Social Sciences, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Jun 1, 2018