Includes references ( 226-237 p.)

'Abstract The Educational building is an important place that promotes community development in each country. Historical and cultural understandings have the effect of forming the school building. The educational building in the Middle East was separated from the mosque during the 11th century into two buildings, such as Madrasa and Maktab. The Maktab consisted of single room connected to the mosque, but the Madarsa consisted of central courtyard with four Iwans. However, the contemporary principles for schools tend towards the development of compact design and double-loaded corridor to an open design, which connects inside and outside of the building with secure factors. In order to solve the design problems faced by the school buildings during the beginning of the 20th century, and to raise the level of education, and educate the generation in the safe way. The Erbil city is one of the oldest city in Iraq, which had an educational building like Madrasa (Madrasa Al-Muzaffarye), but the building was destroyed over time. Then, at the beginning of 20th century with the arrival of British, the formal school building was built in 1924, in the name of First Erbil school (Museum of Education). The building consists of an inner courtyard, where the rooms open the courtyard through a roofed corridor. However, after years of interaction between local and British culture the new concepts emerged in school designs in Erbil, for instance the idea of a linear plan, double-loaded corridor, central hall, and the closed corridor. Thus, these ideas were extended to the 21st century in Erbil. The research will be a qualitative analysis, while discussing the development of school building in Middle East from 7th century to the beginning of 20th century, and the global awareness of the contemporary principles of school buildings in term of spatial organization. Then compare the existing school designs in Erbil with the historical school designs in Medieval period in term of indoor/outdoor connection and safety. As a conclusion, the school\'s designs in Erbil have been changed from inner courtyard to the double-loaded corridor. The school buildings which constructed by Erbil government suffer from the principle of indoor/outdoor connection and safety. The building of Madrasa that established in the 11th century is more compatible to the principles of indoor/outdoor connection and safety in term of spatial planning than the current school designs in Erbil. Key word: Spatial organization, indoor/outdoor connection, safety, Madrasa, Maktab, Erbil city.'