Physical education and sport in European schools from 1957 to today

Inspired by the principles of the 2000 Nice declaration, the European Parliament made 2004 European Year of Education Through Sport, confirming the close bond between the educational process, sport and young people. Nearly 20 years later, on 26 September 2023, the new paragraph of article 33 of the Italian Constitution which reads “The Republic recognises the educational, social and psychophysical wellbeing promotion value of sport in all its forms” established the indispensable nature of sport’s educational contribution in terms of social inclusion and improved wellbeing for everyone, opening the way for its recognition as a right to be pursued and developed from school onwards. However, the school-sport relationship remains a difficult one and the gap between Euro-pean Union countries on the educational, cultural and financial investment plan is still considerable. It is a het-erogeneity which requires history of education thinking regarding the various school systems capable of revitalising educational traditions and highlighting physical education and sport meanings, knowledge and models capable of acting as drivers for shared school policies guided by the principles of Pierre de Coubertin’s idea that “Sport is part of every man and woman’s heritage and its absence can never be compensated for” and that all young people must have equal access to physical education and sport primarily within school