Two years after the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which President Emmanuel Macron declared a "Great National Cause" in 2024, the SNEP-FSU union has raised concerns that the promises made have not been fulfilled. During a press conference on Tuesday, September 22, Coralie Benech and Fabrice Allain, co-general secretaries of the SNEP-FSU, criticized the state of physical education and sports (EPS) in French schools. The union stated that the tenth school year under Macron's presidency "does not allow for an enthusiastic assessment." According to the SNEP-FSU, 1,245 EPS teaching positions have been eliminated since 2017. Additionally, since the 2026 school year, 20,000 students have not had EPS and 1,572 weekly hours of instruction are not being provided. The union noted that while there is no shortage of candidates for EPS teaching positions, the use of contract workers has increased significantly. The number of contract workers rose from 491 in 2017 to 1,300 in 2025, an increase of 165%. Overloaded classes and insufficient facilities are also major issues, with more than 85% of secondary schools having classes with more than 26 students, compared to an average of 20.7 in Europe. The SNEP-FSU emphasized that EPS requires adequate staffing, spaces, and equipment, noting that "gyms and sports facilities constitute our classrooms." According to its "flash climate survey," the union reported that during heatwaves, 40% of classes were canceled. Additionally, 30% of facilities lack water points, and 75% of outdoor facilities do not have shade. The union therefore demands the renovation of sports infrastructure, citing a 2009 estimate by the Court of Auditors that the cost of renovations and bringing them up to standard would be 21 billion euros. It also claims the construction of 200 swimming pools and 600 gyms per year for five years, funded 50% by the state and the rest by local authorities. Swimming, a symbol of school inequalities, is also a concern, with 14% of secondary school students not receiving any swimming instruction. The pass rate for the "know how to swim" certificate is 71.1% in REP (priority education) schools, 62.6% in REP+ schools, and 85.7% outside of priority education. The SNEP-FSU criticizes the implementation of two hours of sports in secondary schools, daily physical activity, and physical fitness tests, arguing that the school could already better apply existing EPS schedules. The union demands four hours of EPS per week and the strengthening of EPS rather than the multiplication of parallel initiatives. It emphasizes the need to develop initiatives that work, such as sports sections in schools, and mentions the EPPCS (Physical Education, Sports Practices and Sports Culture), a specialty chosen by only 1.3% of students in the general high school class at the start of the 2024 school year. The SNEP-FSU also denounces the loss of value of the UNSS subsidy, despite its 1.2 million members, the largest sports federation for under-18s. Inflation and a new decrease of 300,000 euros are not helping to calm tensions. The decrease in the recruitment of teachers affects sports associations, with the union stating that "a teacher ensures an animation and the functioning. One less is a lost section." It demands more resources for the UNSS and the preservation of Wednesday afternoon. Two years after Paris 2024, the SNEP-FSU believes that the "great national cause" has not produced the expected effects in the National Education system. Its demands include four hours of EPS, more teachers, fewer students per class, renovated and constructed facilities, strengthened school sports, and 1% of the state budget allocated to sports, compared to 0.15% today. The union intends to present these demands during the mobilization on September 29.