Educational facilities became important public and specialised buildings since governments began to face the right of populations to education. Policies to provide educational buildings that respect modern notions of comfort and hygiene led architects to develop architectural concepts that corresponded to new demands on education. The need to educate large groups of students of different ages and the post-World War II massive construction of schools in Europe resulted in the creation of different building models that were repeated across the continent and beyond. Throughout the 20th century, these models were developed following concepts of Modern Architecture and pedagogical advances in education, with countries adapting them to their specific environments. Describing primary schools in a small city in Portugal is an opportunity for an overall look at the evolution of schools in general as special public buildings. A look at four of the six primary schools in the city of Caldas da Rainha shows how these public buildings have evolved, what they represent to the community, and how their architecture has corresponded to changing concepts in education and demands for flexibility over the years. (Contains 1 footnote.)