Editing Primary school (section)

== Building design specifications ==
[[File:First American Public School, Dedham, Massachusetts.jpg|thumb|The first taxpayer-funded public school in the United States was in Dedham, Mass.]]
[[File:Sandakan Sabah SJKC-Chi-Hwa-06.jpg|thumb|SJK (C) Chi Hwa Eco-Nature Primary School in [[Sandakan]], Malaysia]]
[[File:ClassroomLibrary.jpg|thumb|A classroom library in the US]]

The building providing the education has to fulfill the needs of: The students, the teachers, the non-teaching support staff, the administrators and the community. It has to meet general government building guidelines, health requirements, minimal functional requirements for classrooms, toilets and showers, electricity and services, preparation and storage of textbooks and basic teaching aids.<ref name=za>{{cite web|title=Guidelines relating to planning for public school infrastructure|url=http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=cWhHzzzCo1w%3D&tabid=93&mid=2598|access-date=3 April 2017|date=2012|publisher=Department of Basic Education, Republic of South Africa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907024942/http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=cWhHzzzCo1w%3d&tabid=93&mid=2598|archive-date=2015-09-07|url-status=live}}</ref> An optimum school will meet the minimum conditions and will have:

* adequately sized classrooms—where 60 m<sup>2</sup> in considered optimum but 80 m<sup>2</sup> for the reception class
* specialised teaching spaces
* a staff preparation room
* staff welfare facilities
* an administration block
* multipurpose classrooms
* student toilet facilities
* a general purpose school hall
* adequate equipment
* storage
* a library or library stocks that are regularly renewed
* computer rooms or media centres
* counselling, sick and medical examination rooms<ref name=za/>

Government accountants having read the advice then publish minimum guidelines on schools. These enable environmental modelling and establishing building costs. Future design plans are audited to ensure that these standards are met but not exceeded.  Government ministries continue to press for the 'minimum' space and cost standards to be reduced.

The UK government published this downwardly revised space formula for primary schools in 2014. It said the floor area should be 350 m<sup>2</sup> + 4.1 m<sup>2</sup>/pupil place. The external finishes were to be downgraded to meet a build cost of £1113/m<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{cite web|title=Baseline designs for schools: guidance - GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/baseline-designs-for-schools-guidance/baseline-designs-for-schools-guidance|website=www.gov.uk|publisher=Education Funding Agency|access-date=3 April 2017|language=en|date=11 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404134821/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/baseline-designs-for-schools-guidance/baseline-designs-for-schools-guidance|archive-date=2017-04-04|url-status=live}}</ref>