The Exclusion of Fencing Within the Curriculum of Schools of the Valencian Community

Abstract

One of the least selected contents by teachers of physical education (PE) in high school is the combat sport. Several authors have reported the neglect suffered by these activities in the Spanish school environment, stating a number of social prejudices and beliefs that affect their selection in school, e.g., they are aggressive and dangerous. Fencing is usually not included for several reasons: lack of knowledge about sport, its complexity, the cost of practice materials, lack of teaching materials, and the limited researches. This paper presents the results of a survey of 106 PE teachers of Valencia (Spain) in order to know what are the main causes that affect the non‐selection of fencing as a sport in school, with emphasis on the lack of training and materials, both specific in fencing’s learning.