The 30 minutes of daily physical activity program in primary schools is presented by the government as one of the “intangible heritage” that the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP) should leave behind. But the scope and reality of the implementation of this measure, launched on an experimental basis at the start of the 2021 school year and generalized since the start of the 2022 school year, are subject to questions.
“It is very difficult to take stock of this measure. It will have to be evaluated,” warned Senator Jean-Jacques Lozach (Socialist Party) on the occasion of the presentation, Wednesday, November 15, of his report for opinion on the appropriations devoted to sport in the draft budget for 2024.
Carrying out a precise evaluation of the system is what the government, but also the Senate, have decided to do. A “investigation is launched” to have updated data on the implementation of these 30 minutes of daily physical activity, declared the Minister of National Education and Youth, Gabriel Attal, on November 8 during a Senate hearing.
On this occasion, Laurent Lafon, the president of the Senate Committee on Culture, Education and Communication, announced that the senators were going to set up a “flash mission” on the subject.
“15% of establishments [qui n’appliquent pas le programme des 30 minutes] it’s not necessarily 15% of classes,” Mr. Lafon notably pointed out to the minister. This figure on the non-application of the measure – and this distinction between establishments and classes – constitutes in particular one of the sources of questioning its real scope.
At the beginning of September, the Minister of Sports and JOPs, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra declared that only “10% to 15% establishments” would not “not back yet” in the 30 minute system. But this figure is contested by the Primary Education Sports Union and by the teaching unions. Before the senators, Mr. Attal confirmed that the“we would have around 15% of schools which would not have implemented these 30 minutes”. “We need to see how many establishments do it and how it is done”he agreed.