Sports equipment by the thousands and a major renovation plan for school buildings which are notoriously thermal sieves: Emmanuel Macron continued this Tuesday, September 5 to decline announcements in education, his new “reserved area”. After the vacation calendar, the history program and clothing, the Head of State opened the chapter on the energy renovation of schools, colleges and high schools. With great ambitions: “Our goal is to be able to renovate 40,000 – 44,000 within ten years”, he said during a trip to the Daniel Argote college in Orthez (Pyrénées- Atlantics). The challenge is already perceptible, as 12 million students have just resumed classes under an oppressive heat wave across the country.
To reach the target and “generalize” this energy renovation, “we will take a series of initiatives”, added Emmanuel Macron. The “green fund” created last year will thus be used to the tune of 500 million euros in 2024. The Caisse des Dépôts is also mobilized, with 2 billion euros in loans promised by 2027 via the Bank of Territories. Efforts to relate to the 40 billion euros needed to renovate some 49,000 schools in France and reduce their energy consumption by 40%, according to the plan presented in May by the government.
“It’s a good thing to continue to focus on this theme”, but “it’s not enough, we need to go even further”, reacted Guillaume Perrin, coordinator of the ACTEE program, which brings together local authorities managing school buildings.
“Generation 2024”
Other disgruntled people were kept away from the presidential visit: around sixty trade unionists and left-wing activists demonstrated for “the defense of public schools”. Not guaranteed according to them by the choices of the executive. “We are told about sport, SNU (Universal National Service), secularism but it does not talk about anything! We want to talk about salaries, means and equality”, protested Dimitri Desurmon, of the CGT Educ ‘ action. During this time, the Head of State rolled out his program, flanked by the Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal, and the mayor of Pau, François Bayrou. Olympic year obliges, priority to sport with an extension of 300 million euros to finance 5000 new “grounds” of games, including a third in the priority districts of the city policy.
That’s as much as the equipment already created since 2021. “It will be 10,000 at the end of 2026, it’s the legacy of the Olympic Games. You are the 2024 generation”, launched Emmanuel Macron to Orthézien college students, pioneers of the two additional hours of sport per week. A measure extended this year to 700 establishments and which is intended to be generalized within three years.
“We learn better by playing sports at school,” said the President of the Republic, who had already hoped on Monday “that there will eventually be one hour of sports a day in primary school”. Even if some of the establishments have not yet implemented the half hour of “daily physical activity” introduced last year. He also confirmed his project of “physical aptitude tests in 6th grade to better assess the evolution of the physical condition of young people”.