Adaptive socio-economic design approach for schooling systems in Egypt’s poorest areas (an applied project)

ABSTRACT

Educational spaces are one of the most critical operations laid down with the architect, school design is a foundation to build/re-build any community. According to current financial variabilities, political crises, and continuous lack of resources, a gap between human classes is widespread, leading to extremely poor, and recently refugees’ communities. Regarding to education, the problem is that traditional school buildings with fixed structures are not effective nor available to these categories with extremely low resources and barley any infrastructure, therefore, it is essential to adopt new concepts to activate the function and impact of educational spaces in these urgent communities. The study aims to create a school “system” to fulfill the task of providing educational spaces, depending on the elements of adaptability with considering social, low-cost impact according to main definitions. With implementing the child`s psychological- physiological development elements, age category from 6 :13 years “Middle childhood: Early adolescence” inside the design process. In Egypt, there are several areas of extremely poor living conditions, the two highly alarming case studies are first, Upper Egypt`s rural villages having the highest ratio of extreme poverty in Egypt, second, refugee camps that became part and parcel of any standing country, both representing urgent need for children`s education rescue. This paper is concentrating as a beginning on first case study as it has the highest percentage of out- school children. As result, trying to fulfill the task by creating an applied school system (project-based) with the adopted criteria, suitable to selected areas main conditions..

KEYWORDS:

• Educational spaces
• adaptive
• socio-economic
• low-cost
• school systems
• poverty in Egypt

Introduction

It has been crucial in the current era to adopt new concepts of designing adaptive school systems as an urgent solution to activate the function and impact of educational spaces in the most unfortunate communities and reduce classes gaps through education. In this paper, the process depends on proposing an applied base (project-based methodology) as an approach to adaptive, socio-economic school systems ready to be implemented in several ways.

Hence, first, an illustrated poverty map is needed as a base to state the country’s current situation before acting. Worldly, according to the world’s poverty clock 2023, more than six hundred million people are in extreme poverty, half of them are children [1] [2]. In Egypt, according to 2023 updated ratios, with the national poverty line standing at approximately EGP 800 per month, 32.5% of Egyptians are below the poverty line[2], more than 5% of them are in extreme poverty, with more than 1.65 million children counted as extremely poor [2] (the targeted category). After initially recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Egyptian economy has been hit hard by the fallout from the war in Ukraine and other recent crises. In January 2023, inflation initially stood at 21% but sharply rose to 40.2%, reaching the highest rate recorded in many years[3], and with the pound in free fall, Egypt has been shut out of international financial markets and forced to seek an IMF bailout, leading to cut in food and fuel subsidies, which raised poverty ratios in a very fast rhythm[4]. More current pressure on household budgets is raised every day and is fueling a continuous increase in national poverty rates in Egypt.

Selected area of the study

Upper Egypt’s rural villages (poverty situation and main locations)

According to Egypt’s CAPMAS, the highest rates of poverty are centered in Upper Egypt’s rural districts which represent 25.2% of total population, 52% of them are in extreme poverty, unable to secure their basic needs, despite all the government efforts to improve the living conditions, the ratios are terribly steady [3,5].

Seven out of ten poorest governorates in Egypt are located in Upper Egypt, topped by Assiut recording the highest poverty rates of 66.7% among its population, then Suhag 59.6%, Luxor 55.3% and Minya 54.7%. The ratios also included Aswan 46.2% and Qena 41.3% [3,5]. In other regions, governorates of New Valley recorded fifth place by 52.6%, then Matrouh by 50.1%, Beheira ranked seventh by 47.7% and finally in the top 10 was North Sinai by 38.4%[3,5]. Port Said recorded the lowest poverty rate of 7.6% [5] (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Poverty and acute poverty according to regions. Upper Egypt rural has the highest ratio. CAPMAS latest update [3].

Although Assiut has the highest poverty ratio as governorate, Suhag has the highest number of the poorest rural villages in Egypt, with 236 villages falling below the poverty line. This accounts for 87% of its total population[3] (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Number and locations of the poorest rural villages in Egypt. [3] CAPMAS latest update, analyzed by the authors.

Upper Egypt’s learning and schools status (current situation basic data)

Table 1. Basic ratios of children’s learning and schools’ situation in upper Egypt till 2023.

1	Number of children in extreme poverty.	1.653.435 child (aged 5:14 years old). [6] Highest percentage is in Upper Egypt's Rural.
2	Highest percentage of out-of-school children.	Upper Egypt's Rural. [7]
3	Least amount of education needed.	Completing 12 years of education (Primary – Prep and High School) [7].
4	Learning situation in Egypt's poorest regions.	- Less than one-quarter of all children are enrolled in public pre-primary schools. At least 1 million school-age children are out of school, as are many refugee and migrant children [8]. - More girls are now in primary school, but boys and girls from poorer backgrounds are less likely to complete even primary education [8].
6	School buildings conditions in Upper Egypt's governates.	- The development of educational buildings in Egypt has challenged both availability and quality [9] due to steady population increase that created an increasing burden on the demand for insufficient schools despite huge classroom density and multiple school periods [10]. - Over the past two decades, there remain stark inequalities in school system in upper Egypt, evident in enrollment rates, attainment levels, building infrastructure, teacher competencies and financial investment in education. These inequalities are further aggravated by geography, gender and socio-economic status [10]. - The insufficiency of educational spaces: approximately 10% of schools in Egypt have more than 70 students per class at primary, and 35% had more than 40 pupils in class [10]. - Beside Insufficiency, unfit school buildings account for 23.8%, lack of land and poor planning are based mainly in upper Egypt and some border governates [9].
7	Elements to achieve quality education and educational spaces in Egypt's poorest regions. (through UNICEF program in Egypt 2023– 2027 prioritized by the author according to the paper's aims).	- Dealing differently with educational needs, in Egypt's poorest districts: creating new ideas for community-based education, depending on initiating life skills education and enhancing the education of emergencies for multi-dimensional poverty children, refugees and migrants as top priority [11]. (Main aim of the paper) - Supporting government to introduce more flexible learning systems [7]. - Creating low-tech methods to help children in underprivileged areas to continue learning according to available resources [7]. - Increasing the resources to help children, adolescents and youth to develop the required school readiness [7]. - Promoting the engagement of communities, alongside evidence-based systems [7]. - Overcoming gender barriers to learning [7] and providing technical assistance in the roll-out of education reform and learning outcomes [7].

Egypt’s SDG 2030 (regarding both poverty and education)

Table 2. Egypt’s SDG 2030 (regarding poverty and education), followed by analyzing the current status by the author.

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
The goal depends on two best case scenarios
Scenario I: assumes that by 2030, the poverty rate in each governorate will decrease to half its recorded value in 2015 [12].	Scenario II: maintains the large gaps between governorates. This methodology establishes a lower limit for poverty rates by 2030 [12].
Current Status: These scenarios target 2020, 2025 and 2030. For Scenario I: This is practically difficult to achieve because it already requires achieving reduced ratios, which is not the case due to current economic changes. For Scenario II: According to poverty rates and charts, there is not enough progress either.
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.
1- Reduce illiteracy rate by Sex [12]. 2- Raise rate of schools adequately equipped for children in difficult conditions and with disabilities: the current rate does not exceed 4% of the total number of schools nationwide. The national level target for this indicator was established at 30%, or to be raised by 7 times [12].
Scenario I: assumes that the rate will increase in all governorates in 2030 to reach 30% of its recorded level in each governorate in 2017 [12].	Scenario II: establishes an upper limit for schools adequately equipped for children with difficulties at 50%, and then distributes the number of schools that need to be equipped on the remaining governorates whose target rate of schools under Scenario I is less than 50% [12].
Current Status: There is nothing mentioned about the quality of school buildings or implementing new concepts to deal differently with the issue. In upper Egypt and some border governorates, there are a high percentage of invalid facilities, lack of land, poor planning and barely any infrastructure [9]. Around 1 in 5 school buildings in Egypt is unfit for use, lacking functional water and sanitation facilities [11].

The suggested methodology for selected areas

According to the selected category’s living conditions with many challenges (stated in Tables 1 and 2) it is essential to deal differently with the design of educational spaces, adopting new concepts of designing not common school buildings barely available or sufficient, but flexible ‘school systems’ ready to adapt with the nature of urgency and lack of resources of selected areas. The applied system will deal with SLC Units (Small learning communities) [13] ready enough to fulfill the child’s basic educational needs till at least 12 years old.

The study depends on the following elements as main aspects of the design process (the suggested methodology) as in Figure 3:

Figure 3. The study's methodology main aspects by the author.

Main aspects of adaptability and socio-economic approach

The process can be summarized through the following Table 3,

Table 3. Factors of socio-economic adaptability in building environment. Illustrated by the author.

	Factor	Features
1	Flexibility	The ability to adapt to new conditions and changes in variability, to deal with changing conditions and to change easily [14]. Flexibility in architecture offers a variety that includes different possibilities [14], spatial organization to achieve changes in conditions, requirements and usages [14]. The aim of flexibility in architecture is, - Creating different areas with minor structural changes [15]. - Enabling changeable design elements such as the ability of minor shifts in space planning, more efficient use of space and easy access to services [15].
2	Convertibility	Allowing changes in use within the building, creating multi-functional spaces and adopting fluidity with spatial properties. The most conversion of spatial properties are: - Easily accessible and legible to spaces – Integration of functions and reduce waste in areas – Utilization of available areas so that applications become possible [14,15].
3	Expandability	The ability to future expanding or facilitating additions to the quantity of space in a building [15].
4	Simplicity	The absence of complex systems, and the well-use of surrounded available materials and technics [15].
5	Durability	Selecting materials, assemblies and systems that require less maintenance, repair and replacement. It extends the useful lifetime of materials and technology as a complimentary to adaptability [15].
6	Design for Disassembly (Portability)	Making it easier to take products and assemblies apart so that their constituent elements can easily be reused or recycled. Designing for disassembly can reduce the costs and environmental impact associated with adapting buildings to new uses. It is also possible to reduce overall environmental costs by easier reuse of components and materials [15].
7	Independence	Features that permit removal or upgrade without affecting the performance of connected systems [15].
8	Environmental Impact	Through many factors: considering climate change impact [16], Applying the main features of sustainability [14], Designing buildings with more on-site, distributed infrastructure components [15,16].
9	Cost- Impact	Depending on resources availability, adopting features that enhance adaptability with little or no additional investments, and accommodating changes that are expected to occur in near future, and apply simple ‘common-sense’ principles to facilitate a wide range of possible changes [15].

Child's psychological–physiological approach

Simply, activating the child’s development elements (Figure 4) through the school main zones in the process of design and layout arrangement, targeting ages from 6 to 13 years old (middle childhood to late childhood [17,18]).

Figure 4. Child's psychological–physiological development elements and its relation to school zones [17,18]. Summarized and arranged by the author.

The applied school system for Upper Egypt’s rural villages

Project's location/map

The location is poorest Upper Egypt’s rural villages Figure 5, having similar living/environmental conditions to be able to apply the same suggested modeling with little changes.

Figure 5. A map of Upper Egypt [19], locating the project's main targeted locations.

Project's main design data

The project would be based as an SLC Unit (Small learning communities) [13] based on the main educational space (classroom Unit), connected by both corridors and breakout areas, with in-between outdoor spaces functioning according to each location, (as in Figures 7 and 8). At first, the project`s basic design data can be implemented as in Table 4,

Table 4. The project’s basic design data. By the author.

1	Project’s Site	Upper Egypt’s Rural Villages
2	Expected Area	Around 660 m^2 (240 m^2 built area + 420 m^2 outdoor yards).
3	Expected Number of Students	Over 120 students in the first phase of each SLC.
4	The area's climate	Dry, Desert Climate. (Harsh Hot Climate)
5	Adopted Design System	Easy Assembly/Disassembly Structure.

The project's design modeling

Given the currently lacking infrastructure, land, planning and basic construction resources, the main concept is to create an urgent system that is easy to construct and operate, depending on the absence of complex structures, flexibility and well use of surrounding available resources and techniques. ‘An Easy Assemble/Disassemble Structure’ is selected as an effective construction model to meet these requirements. With a simple structure, that can be easily gathered, transported, assembled and constructed in any chosen location with few logistic considerations. The project’s construction phases are arranged as follows: (shown in Figure 6)

The assembled unit construction mechanism:

1. Foundation: 8″ × 8″ × 16″ precast hollow core concrete blocks (Cinder Blocks) are ideal for flat or on-grade foundation support, raising the unit’s structure off the ground to protect it from soil’s moisture, insects and all kinds of rots [20]. The construction will start by distributing the blocks in each corner, then supporting the middle poles and then half-way in-between or about every 6 feet to 9 feet (2 to 3 m) around the perimeter to shape a foundation grid[20].

First Foundation Base: The classroom unit dimensions = 6 × 9 m², so according to distribution measurements, the unit would need around 20 concrete hollow blocks. Tools needed in the process are just measuring tools, a shovel and small garden trowel [20].

Second Foundation Base: Establishing a grid of wooden beams to connect the concrete blocks foundation and support the weight of the platform. Making sure that the foundation is level and stable (the beams installation process would be achieved either with mortise and tenon technique or with simple joints and nails).

1. Floors: Once the foundation is in place, a wooden raised platform would be installed for the flooring, using treated wood to prevent rot and insect damage. The platform should be leveled and securely fastened to the foundation.

2. Walls: Pre-cast ready-tied bamboo frames will be set up (the four walls are made of bamboo poles tied together firmly with wire or nylon cord to create a frame). The openings (louvered wooden window slates and a bamboo door) will be installed on each wall either in fabrication phase or on-site with the needed proper tools.

3. Roofing: A double roof technique would be used in each unit to keep the classroom unit cool, stimulate airflow and protect from extremely hot summers in Upper Egypt.

First Roof: a vault made of connected Palm leaves would be installed in the first level from inside, with needed support structure either of bamboo poles, wooden panels, or palm core, formed in curved way to guarantee optimum thermal comfort.

Second Roof: sloped light-weight steel sheet will be hanging up as double roof, with installed PV (photovoltaic) panels to generate the needed electric power in each classroom unit.

Figure 6. The educational unit's assembly/construction phases. By author.

Educational unit's design

Each SLC (Small Learning Community) contains three classroom studios (minimum) shown in Figures 7 and 8, with an area of 80 m²/classroom (built space of 6 × 9 m² + 1 m wooden porch in U shape around each classroom covered with light palm roof as shown in Figure 9, and unit`s facades designed as in Figures 10, 11 and 12, each classroom has the capacity of 40 students, so the 3 classrooms combined unit can have up to 120 students (at first phase) and can be easily multiplied with the same criteria according to each village needed ratios. Two different classroom interior zones are introduced to provide a suitable space according to each age phase needs (Late childhood Figure 14/middle childhood Figure 15). Two breakout areas connect the three classroom units as basic grouped activity circulation nodes. The combined unit also contains three essential outdoor zones with natural/recycled interior elements as in Figure 13 (play – grow – gather) to complete the child's development.

Figure 7. The assembled unit's combined design layout. Designed by author.

Figure 8. The assembled unit's analyzed masterplan. Designed by author.

Figure 9. Single class unit's layout. Designed by author.

Figure 10. Unit’s south facade. Designed by author.

Figure 11. Unit’s north facade. Designed by author.

Figure 12. Unit’s side facade. Designed by author.

Figure 13. A shape of recycled units that can be designed in the outdoor play area for age 6 to 9 years old.

Figure 14. Unit 1 (late childhood classroom), by author.

Figure 15. Unit 2 (middle childhood classroom), by author.

Each plan unit contains three main zones inside the classroom to activate the learning process: (as in Figures 14, 15)

1 – Learner/shared zone to activate educational and innovative activities inside classroom unit (Unit 1 (late childhood): a traditional cells and bells classroom type is more suitable to the needs of this age to activate his cognitive development elements) [18], (Unit 2 (middle childhood): with this small age, more sociable shared studio type is needed to activate his senses using graphs, colorful pictures and 3d modelings) [18]. 2 – Teacher’s zone which also can be used in (Unit 1 (late childhood): as class stage, and a collaborative area equipped with one or more computer devices powered through installed PV Panels in the roof of each unit) (Unit 2 (middle childhood): as colorful class stage, and shared activities display area). 3 – Storage cabinets/bookshelves area designed with light flexible materials (Unit 1 (late childhood): using light wooden organized closets is more suitable), (Unit 2 (middle childhood): using a light drawer boxes cabinets to be more flexible and approachable to deal with in this small age).

4 – An outside wooden porch surrounding each classroom (with 1 meter width and a ramp entrance) plays an essential role in the learning process, designed to represent an indoor–outdoor connection [18], with art/science display walls for children’s activities. Shown in facade Figure 12. 5 – Facilities needed: distributed portable toilet cabins would be installed in the parameter of each assembled unit according to each location (Note: Element 5 is not displayed in the project’s masterplan because it may differ according to each location’s parameters).

Assembled unit fabrication and transportation process: Figure 16

1. Fabrication and Storage: the assembled unit consists of precast ready-available structure elements that could be just assembled in different selected villages. At first, these elements would be manufactured in its own environment, then would be stored in portable or fixed warehouse anywhere inside Upper Egypt’s governorates (20 concrete hollow blocks 8″ × 8″ × 16″ for foundations, wooden panels for floors, Tied ready 4 bamboo walls, bamboo door, 14 louvered window slats, Tied palm leaves vault roof (divided to several parts plus its structure panels), light steel sheet with installed PV panels as double roof, with its frame panels). Also, elements of furnishing, painting materials, tools and porch’s wooden panels will be brought and stored.

2. Transportation: When needed, the fabricated elements of educational units will be shipped and transported through a Moffett semi-truck as in Figure 16 (big, open and with multi-attached trailers as needed).

3. Suitable Soil and Local Laborers: when units are transported to the appointed village, a proper location with healthy uncontaminated soil should be selected, with area of 80 m²/Unit and 660 m²/combined unit of 3 classrooms, having the ability to multiply the number according to need + extra land for planting, gathering and playing yards (small school community). For the construction process, using local laborers as working hands is essential for adaptability.

4. Assembling the Unit: as previously illustrated in (Assembly/Disassembly Process Mechanism).

Figure 16. Assembled units fabrication, transportation and installation phases. Arranged by the author.

Construction elements that should be considered in assembled units

This kind of systems, although it has many qualities (easier to take products and assemblies apart so can easily be reused or recycled, reduce costs and environmental impact associated with adapting buildings to new uses [15]), it needs a regular constant maintenance to ensure that each constructed element is in proper condition, and some components will shortly face replacement and re-arrangement to fit the process [15].

1. As for bamboo poles used in the walls structure:

Bamboo poles are available in a lot of areas in the Nile River Valley in Upper Egypt where the climate is relatively more humid and suitable for its growing. The length of bamboo poles that are commonly available in Egypt may vary depending on the species of bamboo and the cultivation methods used, the commonly existed ones are from 4 to 6 meters tall, but, despite its availability, it is not widely spread in Egypt in building techniques, normally used more in furniture, cause most people are used to more fixed construction materials [21].

So, when manufacturing the ready to use bamboo walls, we must consider the following:

• The height of the bamboo walls will affect the length of the poles needed. To create longer walls, the bamboo poles can be joined together using various techniques, such as lashing, splicing, or metal connectors [22].

• The diameter of bamboo poles also affects the process; the used poles should be with appropriate diameter according to their selected height [22].

• For the walls, we can use bamboo poles or panels. If using poles, the construction used is to tie them firmly together with wires or nylon cords to create a stable frame. The bamboo panels can be attached to the frame using screws or nails [22].

• Ensure that the created bamboo wall is structurally sound and can withstand winds and other environmental factors [22].

• The stability of the walls may include using appropriate foundation materials, such as concrete blocks or stone blocks, to anchor the bamboo poles properly, with using braces or other supports to reinforce the walls [23].

2. The Used Openings (Doors/Windows):

• Classroom door: a bamboo-ready frame is to be used in each unit.

• Classroom windows: Louvered wooden window slats are to be used with a volume appropriate to the area’s environmental condition.

• A third element must be added to ensure adapting with the area, Mosquito Netting Layer is to be added to the openings. Mosquito netting is a mesh fabric that is used to create a barrier against mosquitoes and other insects [24]. It is made from a variety of materials, cotton, polyester and nylon [25]. It is an effective and affordable way to protect against flying insects that are commonly widespread in Upper Egypt’s villages[26].

3. Furniture and Finishings:

• The Classroom Furniture: each unit should be furnished with light, flexible, materials, such as wood, plastic or bamboo desks and chairs. The desks and chairs are not attached as normally used in Egyptian schools. They are de-attached to be easily moved and re-arranged for different teaching patterns according to the needs of each class.

• Finishing: Finally, applying finishing touches to the classroom, such as painting and colors, stickering or varnishing the wood to protect it from different elements, all with sustainable, affordable and easy-to-construct ways. Children can easily participate in the finishing process to activate their sense of belonging to their classroom unit.

Assembled unit sustainability and eco-system integrated elements

The classroom unit is designed to conclude several eco-system and sustainable techniques implementing the following: Natural/available materials in the whole construction process with favorable thermal mass – Simple non-complicated structure techniques – Double roof technique: First Roof: palm leaves vault formed in curved way to guarantee optimum thermal comfort, Second Roof: sloped light-weight steel sheet with installed PV panels – Upper vent technique: through the vault’s upper openings air circulation – Cross ventilation with simple louvered window slats – Shaded walls from sun and rain by the overhanging roof guaranteeing passive heating/cooling system – High trees block harsh summer sun and allow warm winter sun. shown in vertical section A-A Figure 18, (The section line taken for vertical section A-A is illustrated in Figure 17).

Figure 17. The classroom unit's main zoning with illustrated section line (A-A). By author.

Figure 18. Sustainability and Eco-system integration elements of the classroom unit. Designed by the author.

Conclusions

The aim of this study is to find new concepts to deal with the function and impact of educational spaces in impoverished most urgent communities, through creating flexible educational systems with an adaptive socio-economic approach, instead of resorting to steady buildings in communities with no clear infrastructure, land, planning or even the ability to reserve main necessities of life. To achieve this aim, this paper introduced a modeling to be applied in Egypt’s poorest areas (Upper Egypt’s rural villages) after collecting basic data of the area’s current educational status, poverty ratios, top affected governorates and targeting locations. The applied design approach depends on three main aspects to achieve its followed methodology:

1. The elements of adaptability, that can be concluded as follows: Flexibility (the ability to adapt with variable changes), Convertibility (the ability to create multi-functional spaces) – Expandability (shrinking and expanding elements) – Simplicity (the absence of complex systems) – Durability (Selecting materials, assemblies and systems that require less maintenance, repair and replacement) – Portability (the ability to assemble, disassemble, reuse its parts) – Independence (permitting removal or an upgrade without affecting the performance of connected systems) – Environmental Impact (developing an eco-system sustainable on-site unit) – Cost – Impact (a socio-economic base as part and parcel of adaptability).

2. The socio-economic base of the selected area, which depends on coping with little or no additional capital through onsite resources availability, local varieties and applying simple ‘common-sense’ principles to facilitate a wide range of possible changes that are expected to occur in the very near future.

3. Implementing the child’s psychological-physiological development elements in the system's educational spaces design process. the study is concerned with primary and the beginning of middle education as the minimum proper needed education to any child according to UNICEF, which are from 6 to 13 years old, represented as middle childhood from 6 to 9 years old [18], late childhood from 9 to 13 years old [18]. The main six perspectives of the child’s development elements are summarized as (physical – cognitive – thinking – language – personality – social).

The introduced modeling case-study tried to apply the suggested methodology to deal with educational spaces in the most urgent communities. Tested through the following assessment process (Table 5):

Table 5. Assessing the adaptive, socio-economic and physiological-psychological elements of the project. The result by the author.

Factors		Features	Applied Elements	Check
1. Adaptability.
1	Flexibility and Convertibility	The multi-usage of the space.	- The Educational space is an inside-outside learning class with surrounded U-shape porch used as an art display and other outdoor activity.	✓
		Enabling minor structural changes.	- The whole construction process depends on an easy assembled/disassembled structure system.	✓
		Enabling changeable design elements.	- Through Using light flexible furnishing elements inside each unit and having the ability of designing multi-shapes of educational space's interior according to each age phase.	✓
		The ability to make minor shifts in the space.	- The whole space contains portable easy to assemble materials/techniques to fit different locations with the same criteria.	✓
		Efficient use of space.	- Each educational space has multi-uses, an indoor-outdoor connection, and a surrounded U shape porch to encourage other activities.	✓
		Easy access to services.	- Installed portable toilets according to each location are appropriate for this type of design. - Each educational unit has storage cabinets in the back of the class for learning/student’s tools and equipment.	✓
2	Simplicity and Durability	The absence of complex systems.	- The project is based totally in an easy assembled/de-assembled construction that can fit in a Moffett semi-truck type.	✓
		The well use of surrounding available materials and techniques.	- All materials are locally available/All construction techniques are suitable to the area's weather/The located areas would be selected in a proper healthy land inside each appointed village according to its current demography.	✓
3	Design for Disassembly (Portability)	The ability to assemble, disassemble and reuse its parts.	- The whole unit is depending on the concept of an easy assembled/de-assembled system, that can be reused in different occasions/locations.	✓
4	Environmental Impact	Considering climate change impact, eco-systems and features of sustainability.	- The Units are designed to suit hot arid weather conditions with several sustainability/eco-system integration elements that are fully included in part (5–3), point V.	✓
5	Expandability (Future Extension)	The ability to future expanding or facilitating additions to the quantity of space in a building.	- The project has the ability of extending but it will not be measured unless the prototype is fully executed and operated for a period. - Needed supervision and continuous annual maintenance of materials/construction techniques/and structure system is always essential in this type of projects.	Can not be measured till applying an onsite prototype
2. Socio -Economic, Cost- Impact.
6	Adapting with Local Community	The participation of Local community, authorities and the power of youth.	- The phase of assembling the schooling system in each located area depends on local laborers and community participation, even the participation of children in finishing process.	✓
		Using Local common construction ideas with evolving techniques.	- The used construction techniques depends on local materials/traditional evolved building techniques specially in the used bamboo walls/an easy assembling- disassembling structure.	✓
7	Resources Availability and Cost-Impact	Resources availability.	- Using locally available materials/locally traditional furnishing materials/eco-system techniques to suit upper Egypt's weather conditions/easy simple construction techniques/easy assembled-disassembled structure/local laborers/un-fixed structure which does not need specific infrastructure and other regularities/used concrete blocks are less expensive than concrete mix or ready mix. - Each classroom unit can take more than 40 students and can achieve multiple activities inside the indoor-outdoor unit. - The project can also be used as multi-functional space for surrounding community (Literacy classrooms, conference unit, courses and discussion circles). - Roof installed PV panels would generate the needed electric power in each classroom unit. also installing a rainwater collector can provide planting yard with needed irrigation.	✓
		Adopting features suitable for available or reduced capital.
		Accommodate changes that are expected in the very near future, then apply simple ‘common-sense’ principles to facilitate possible changes.
3. Child's Psychological – physiological base in design process.
8	Cognitive and Thinking Development	Resourced through the main learning private zone (The Classroom), which designed as a multi-use space (inside out) to include all children's learning activities. Inside zones: (learning zone, teacher/resources/display stage zone, storing/bookshelves zone). Outside zone: U-shaped porch for an indoor- outdoor connection, with art/science display walls for children's activities.		✓
9	Physical Development	Activated through the child's movement- play areas, either through organized playing by multi-use playground, or free playing by yards and gathering areas.		✓
10	Language Development	The child's ability to be bilingual is at its highest rate in the selected age [14]. Through: listening- reading- speaking- writing [27]. Which can be activated in the modeling through the classroom unit – bookshelves zone in each class to activate reading skills – breakout nodes as an assembly circle to practice their bilingual skills by open discussions, listening and speaking.		✓
11	Personality and Social Development	Shared Zone in school [28] is the key for initiating the element. Outdoor spaces play the biggest role to activate the child's social/personality interaction [17], each assembled unit has an in-between 3 large outdoor spaces (a playground – a planting area – a gathering yard) – Breakout areas designed between classes are the school's live nodes, to gather between classes, support project-based learning, initiate informal group interaction versus just individual breaks [29].		✓

Findings and recommendations

In general, school buildings in Egypt need more creative ideas to deal with both quantity and quality of educational spaces, away from traditional cells and bells design to more open muti-usage learning environments with different classroom’s patterns. As for the selected category of extremely poor communities, dealing with locations with certain construction challenges such as lack of land, poor planning, scarce infrastructure, and barely any available resources made it a necessity not a privilege to activate the function and impact of educational spaces through more flexible concepts as an urgent solution to an urgent need. This category can be dealt with by transitioning from common steady school buildings with fixed structure, which are neither effective nor available to this category, to the concept of creating school systems with flexible, simple and community-based structure, to ensure the completion of the minimum 12-year education requirement and to reduce the gaps through education.

The school system design approach should depend on specific criteria to be applied and assessed by at the end of the process. There are many forms and shapes of school systems to be implemented, such as semi-fixed structure units, floating systems, community-based structure, foldable/portable units, easy assembly/disassembly structure and mobile units. Each system can be applied according to the case, location and environmental changes. In this paper, the project depended on an easily assembled/disassembled structure gathered all from surrounding available resources with flexible construction elements and applied pattern of an SLC (small learning community) based design.

There are many aspects to be considered in educational spaces design, with the following main criteria: Adaptability, which can be concluded through its main factors (flexibility, convertibility, expandability, simplicity, durability, portability, independence, environmental impact and cost-impact). Considering socio-economic impact that depends on coping with the surrounding community through on-site resources, variabilities and traditions, dealing with little or no additional capital. Implementing children's psychological–physiological development elements (physical – cognitive – thinking – language – personality – social) in educational spaces design is important to activate the child’s built-on character through each school zone (private zone – shared zone – public zone).

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to CAPMAS Egypt, UNICEF Egypt and other official organizations for providing the available data and statistics. Also, a master’s degree thesis of the author from Architectural Engineering department, Mansoura University, Egypt, has a main base to this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the no funders.