The Coeducation of Physical Education in Greece: From the Ancient Times Until the Modern Times

The majority of physical education (PE) classes in the United States became coeducational after Title IX was enacted in 1972. However, the process of considering the effects of coeducational PE did not begin there. The purpose of this study was to present in as much detail as possible, through a thorough literature review, the presence and development of coeducation in the subject of PE in Greece over the years. This historical review shows the views of the two founders of ancient Greek education, Plato and Aristotle, according to whom education was necessary for both boys and girls. This study also references the influences of the European Enlightenment, where the education of both sexes was considered necessary. During the 19th century, specifically in 1828, the institution of coeducation of the two sexes took the first timid steps toward an educational evolution, which is directly related to social, cultural, and moral issues. Laws played a catalytic role in the issue of mixed education of boys and girls, even under adverse conditions, to reach 1985, where Law 1566 was passed, the last to assess Greek coeducational PE.