Students have been taught how to walk in stilettos as part of a government-funded course, a south London college said on Wednesday.

伦敦南部一所学院于本周三称，受政府资助，该校开设了一门教学生穿高跟鞋时如何走路的课程。

The six-week "Sexy Heels in the City" course was offered as an extra-curricular（课程的） activity at South Thames College and finished in May.

The college said five students aged¹ between 16 and 50-plus took part in the classes, and said the reactions were overwhelmingly（压倒性地） positive.

"The course improved students' confidence, it was a fun, sociable² activity for them to do in their free time," a college spokeswoman said.

"They practiced the Alexander Technique and learned how to walk responsibly and carefully in high heels." The Alexander Technique is a method that helps to improve a person's posture³ and balance.

Professional singer China Whyne -- who has worked with Eric Clapton, Seal and Peter Gabriel -- was paid 750 pounds (1,000 dollars, 900 euros) to teach the six-week course.

On her website, the tutor promises to teach women teetering in high heels how to improve their posture, reduce back pain and "achieve that gliding⁴（流畅的，滑行的） feeling when walking".

One of the college students who completed the course said she now "felt more comfortable in my heels."

"I no longer feel pain on a night out because I know what exercises to do beforehand," said 16-year-old Celina Mystery. "Now I can finally rock my heels."

South Thames College said it was still evaluating whether to run the course again.

Meanwhile, the TaxPayers⁵' Alliance campaign group dismissed the course as a waste of money.

"This is a silly gimmick⁶（暗机关，骗人的玩意） that's most likely diverting money away from more needy⁷ parts of the college," chief executive Matthew Elliott told the Daily Mirror website.