Localising International Education Interventions: Insights from adapting the “My Class Economy” approach to primary schools in Kuwait

Kuwait Vision 2035, also known as "New Kuwait," aims to transform the country into a “financial and trading hub regionally and internationally” by promoting sustainability, economic diversification and human resource development, all closely tied to anti-corruption measures that foster transparency and accountability (Mahdi, 2019). There have been several initiatives to promote this vision, a notable development of which is the Bankee programme which has been featured in the 2023 Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the main policymaking body for the UNCAC. 

Bankee is Kuwait's first interactive financial literacy programme designed specifically for primary school students. Aimed at children aged 6-10 years, the programme focuses on promoting financial awareness and encouraging responsible money management from an early age. Spearheaded by Kuwait’s Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), as well as the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Creative Confidence Consultancy and Training Institute (CCCTI), it tailors financial education to Kuwait’s cultural and socio-economic realities.

NatCen International, the global arm of the National Centre for Social Research and NatCen’s Centre for Evaluation were commissioned to develop an evaluation of the impact of Bankee on students’ financial knowledge, financial behaviour and overall behaviour in the classroom. In this blog, we reflect on the centrality of adaptation and localisation to the effectiveness of educational interventions. We argue that while the "My Classroom Economy" model is a peer-reviewed, dynamic and immersive educational approach designed to foster financial literacy, responsible decision-making, and prosocial behaviours among students, it is not a one-size-fits-all type of model. Careful adaptation of the model to the local context is necessary for it to meet its intended outcomes. It is also an opportunity to explore transnational collaborations on addressing a key global challenge – only one-third of adults worldwide are classified as financially literate – and to support financial inclusion for a sustainable future. 

Introducing Bankee: A multistakeholder national initiative 

Bankee is designed to promote financial literacy, responsible financial behaviour, and positive wellbeing among primary school students. It is a national initiative offering a standardised system and content across public, special needs and private schools. Its development and implementation in Kuwait involved the building of strategic and new alliances between the private and public sectors as well as extensive research and consultation with schools and behavioural analysts, to ensure cultural and educational alignment, including tailored learning materials, resources, and trial runs in select classroom. Efforts were made to train teachers, engage parents and students, and gain support from school administrators.

Key stakeholders – MoE, Nazaha, NBK, CCCTI, schools – have envisaged Bankee as a pathway to strengthening relationships across sectors and within school communities, driving societal shifts toward anti-corruption, enhanced education, and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They also anticipated the benefits to include improved public-private cooperation, better staff and student wellbeing, increased confidence and innovation in teaching, higher job satisfaction, and engaging extracurricular activities in government schools.

Three key insights from the evaluation

As is the case with any new initiative, Bankee was faced with implementation and systemic challenges. However, the evaluation confirms that, overall, the intended outcomes of the Bankee programme have been met. The evaluation has pointed out that financial literacy has improved for students as well as teacher and student overall wellbeing. In the section below, we offer three key insights drawing on the challenges and opportunities of delivering a tailored version of “My Classroom Economy” in Kuwait. 

First, new initiatives can benefit from establishing a community of practice, enabling the sharing of insights, forming new alliances, and exchanging valuable learnings alongside the implementation of the initiative. In September 2023, NatCen International conducted a series of workshops with schoolteachers, Nazaha, NBK and CCCTI to discuss the inputs, activities, mechanisms, and intended and expected outcomes of Bankee. One common theme that emerged is that the pilot version of Bankee has created a community of practice amongst its stakeholders which has enabled the teachers to feel supported while administering Bankee in their classrooms. The teachers have expressed that their overall wellbeing has improved and they have enjoyed the new methods of teaching that Bankee has brought into their classrooms. They have also mentioned that they have observed an improvement in their relationships with the students. 

Second, the time taken to localise the “My Classroom Economy” model to the Kuwaiti context has been key to its effectiveness. By modifying the fines and bonuses system to align with local customs and societal norms, and incorporating real-world scenarios such as charitable giving – a key aspect of Kuwaiti culture – the programme has ensured that financial concepts are both meaningful and practical for students. Addressing language barriers through careful translation of financial terminologies has enhanced comprehension and accessibility. Multiple co-design workshops with teachers played a crucial role in integrating the programme into the school day, allowing for customisation to fit unique school environments. This tailored approach, combined with a focus on prosocial behaviours aligned with Kuwaiti values of communal harmony and social responsibility, has improved the programme's relevance.

Third, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a model offers opportunities for innovation in education that may not be possible otherwise. This model is becoming more visible in Gulf countries which have made several regulatory and institutional reforms to enable a more extensive uptake of PPPs to include a wide range of social and economic infrastructure services. Bankee highlights the critical role of collaboration and stakeholder engagement in achieving educational outcomes. It is to be seen how the Bankee model can be replicated across other education initiatives in Kuwait. 

Concluding remarks

The adaptation of the "Classroom Economy" approach through the Bankee programme represents an interesting development in transformative education interventions and highlights the importance and complexity of adaptation and localisation of international initiatives. More needs to be done to explore how this model can map onto or inform other initiatives within Kuwait and the Gulf countries in line with the SDGs and national aspirations for change.