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Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"

Teachers' union calls for lessons in walking


A teachers' union has suggested the national curriculum should be torn up and children taught life skills instead, such as how to walk.
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said children could learn a lot from walking because you need to adapt your technique according to your environment.
Speaking earlier this week, the acting deputy general secretary of the ATL, Martin Johnson, said: "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."
His comments came as the union called for major changes to the education system that included the abolition of national examinations for pupils. The ATL would prefer a system where children were assessed by teachers.
Mr Johnson branded the national curriculum "totalitarian" because it prioritised academic education over other types of knowledge.
Mr Johnson said: "For the state to suggest that some knowledge should be privileged over other knowledge is a bit totalitarian in a 21st century environment."
The union suggested that instead of the current national curriculum, which focuses on core subjects such as maths, English and science, teachers should have the freedom to adapt lessons to reflect a curriculum that concentrated on life skills.
The new curriculum could include lessons in physical co-ordination, personal skills, thinking skills and ethics, he suggested.
Mr Johnson insisted that it would not mean some "nutty teacher" getting up one morning and deciding on their own curriculum.
There would have to be accountability and some "collective decision-making," he said.
Today, the ATL stood by Mr Johnson's comments and his belief that different methods of walking had a place on the school timetable.
A union spokeswoman explained: "It was an aside. He was thinking on his feet trying to find an example of a physical skill which children need. He spoke about a whole other range of things as well.
"Our argument is that the current curriculum isn't fit for purpose. If children are academic they are hot-housed to pass exams and leave school increasingly bored, while children who are not academic feel failures and leave school as soon as they can."
The ATL said life skills would underpin the new curriculum, which would also include academic learning.

accountability- odpowiedzialność
aside- uwaga na marginesie
core- centralny, główny
curriculum- program nauczania
failure- porażka
focus on- koncentrowac się na
nutty- szalony, stuknięty
prioritise- przyznawać pierwszeństwo
privileged- przyznawać pierwszeństwo, uprzywilejować
range- wachlarz, gama
reflect- zastanawiać się, rozważać
spokeswoman- rzeczniczka
stand (stood, stood) by- popierać, stać po stronie
stroll- przechadzka; przechadzać się, spacerować
tear (tore, torn) up- podrzeć
underpin- wzmacniać, wspierać



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