Teacher Activism in Egypt: 1922-1952 In 1936, a group of Egyptian Pedagogues established Rabitat al-Tarbiya al-Haditha, an association dedicated to the promotion of ‘modern pedagogy’, child-centered practices and progressive education. The group included psychoanalysts, prominent surrealists, a former student of Jean Piaget, and a renowned British progressive pedagogue, among others. But Rabitat al-Tarbiya was not the only teachers association of its kind: Between 1922 and 1952, teachers founded at least three other associations to advance progressive education and defend their rights as a profession. From Rabitat Khariji Ma‘had al-Tarbiya to Jam‘iyyat al-Mu‘allimin, teachers were continuously in search for adequate representation and like-minded networks. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on teacher activism in Egypt between 1922-1952. Historian Barack Salmoni notes that “educational thinkers in Egypt (...) saw themselves as integrally involved in cultivating the nation, setting national priorities, and crafting the tone and substance of nationalist thought.” In this respect, Salmoni follows a long line of historians who explore education, and teacher activism through the lens of an overarching nationalist project. After all, education is the institution through which generations of young people are taught to become nationalists. Yet, with its exploration of teachers as nothing more than closeted nationalists, the literature has failed to capture the often complicated motivations behind teacher activism, the nuances of their individual and collective aspirations and the richness of their own thinking. By contrast, this paper seeks to understand teachers through an exploration of their activism and the nature of their involvement in associations, unions and networks. It does so through an in-depth analysis of the pedagogical press, conference papers, ministerial reports, and reports left behind by some of their members. In addition, it analyses the few magazines which openly discussed their plight. The paper seeks to answer two interrelated questions: In what ways was teacher activism connected to the pedagogical trends of the time period, most notably “progressive education”? Why were these pedagogical commitments favoured by teachers associations in interwar Egypt? The paper will show that progressive education—as an intellectual force—allowed teachers to call for the amelioration of their material conditions and social standing. Because progressive education, by design, necessitates enormous pedagogical skills, specialised training, and technical knowledge, calling for progressive education enabled teachers to aspire to become part of a more prestigious profession, one in which monetary and social compensation was higher