The UK teacher's union, The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), feels the national curriculum is too academic and should be changed. They would like to see the curriculum become more focused on 'life skills', such as walking. According to Martin Johnson, the acting deputy general secretary of the ATL, there are lots of different ways to walk and kids need be learning these walking methods.

Seriously. He is quoted as saying "There's a lot to learn about how to walk. If you were going out for a Sunday afternoon stroll you might walk one way. If you're trying to catch a train you might walk in another way and if you are doing a cliff walk you might walk in another way. If you are carrying a pack, there's a technique in that. We need a nation of people who understand their bodies and can use their bodies effectively."

It seems what he was trying to say was that children need more instruction in physical coordination, personal and thinking skills. Walking is just one example of an important skill kids are not being taught in the UK. The union would like to see a shift from the focus on academics to a system where teachers have the freedom to adapt lessons to concentrate on life skills. Like walking. According to Mr. Johnson, this would not mean some "nutty teacher" arbitrarily deciding what that curriculum would look like; there would be accountability and "collective decision-making."

Regarding the walking classes, a union spokeswoman explained that Mr. Johnson's remarks were an aside; thinking on his feet, he used the idea of teaching kids to walk as an example of a physical skill which children should be taught. By shifting focus from academic instruction to include life-skills, the ATL hopes that students won't become bored and leave school as soon as they possibly can. I imagine "how to walk when leaving school' will not be part of the new curriculum.