Tribune. For the first time since its creation, the Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports, Jean-Michel Blanquer, has decided to appoint [mercredi 22 décembre 2021] a high-level athlete at the head of the National Union of School Sports (UNSS): Olivier Girault. The choice of a “Inspiring and charismatic figure”, dixit the Minister, questions the aims and role of this school federation. We believe that it testifies to the ignorance of the specificities and missions specific to school sport.
The UNSS is an original school federation, an “affinity federation”, that is to say multisport, with the aim of education through sport. It is a “school” federation with public service missions.
Political instrumentalisation
School sport therefore aims to provide education through sport, for all, and not to form a sports elite. It is practiced by students in establishment sports associations (AS), supervised by teachers of physical education and sports (EPS). It can thus be considered as an extension of the EPS. Statutory, PE teachers have a three-hour package included in their service to support these AS.
The choice to appoint a former Olympic handball champion to the national leadership of the UNSS constitutes a form of political instrumentalisation of school sport. It is not so much the presence of a high level athlete that we question but the skills and the political project of the latter.
In addition, Olivier Girault was not initially selected by the preselection commission – made up of the general direction of school education (Dgesco), the ministry of sports and representatives of AS. He did not convince the members of the board of directors of the UNSS, ranking last of the candidates auditioned. The minister, president of the UNSS, admittedly the sole decision-maker of this appointment, has apparently ignored the democratic process, not taking into account the opinion of elected officials and experts in school sport.
The UNSS, like all sports federations, has been undermined by the health crisis. However, it remains the second federation in France in terms of the number of licensees (over one million practitioners before the health crisis), with a constantly increasing participation rate for girls. To say that it is appropriate to give “A new impetus” in school sport is a manipulation.
Specific missions
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