At the start of the 2026 school year, municipal sports educators in Toulouse will no longer directly intervene in primary schools. This decision has been criticized by the SUD union, which sees it as a setback for sports education. On the contrary, the city council defends it as a reorganization aimed at modernizing school sports support.
For over forty years, municipal territorial educators in physical and sports activities (ETAPS) have been involved in primary schools in Toulouse. Climbing, sailing, rollerblading, fencing, or mountain biking: these professionals allowed students to discover sometimes challenging disciplines within the traditional school framework.
But starting from the 2026 school year, these direct interventions will disappear. In a statement released on March 10, the SUD Territorial Communities 31 union denounces the “end of municipal sports interventions in schools” and describes it as a “major setback for sports and education.”
According to the union, the reorganization of the sports department decided by the City in March 2025 results in a significant reduction in the number of educators working in the field. The agents would now be redirected towards more administrative tasks.
“From the start of the 2026 school year, no direct intervention by municipal sports educators will be maintained in schools,” the union affirms.
SUD believes that these professionals play an essential role in supervising activities requiring specific equipment, strict safety rules, and particular pedagogical skills.
The union fears that this decision could deter some students from participating in sports activities and questions the city’s goal of promoting physical activity among young people. SUD insists that “sport in schools should not be a budget adjustment variable” and demands a review of this decision.
The Toulouse city council, however, disputes this interpretation of the reform. According to the municipality, it is not a setback but an evolution of the intervention model.
“The sport in schools is not regressing: it is modernizing,” the municipal authorities state in their response. They emphasize that the previous system only covered a limited part of the school sports offer, with 17 educators working in 213 schools.
The City explains that they have chosen to transform the roles of municipal sports educators.
These professionals will now be responsible for assisting teachers in developing sports projects, facilitating access to equipment, and strengthening ties with local clubs and associations.
The municipality assures that student access to sports will remain guaranteed, highlighting the maintenance of subsidies to sports clubs, the reception of over 19,000 students in municipal pools in 2024-2025, and the provision of over 23,800 hours of sports facilities for schools.
This reform is still in transition, with ongoing adjustments and consultations with educators and the education authorities to finalize the new system for the next school year.
