Standing classrooms earn high praise from health experts

A Melbourne high school has become the first in the country to introduce standing lessons in the classroom.

The new teaching method is being trialled at Christian Brothers' College in St Kilda in an effort to increase productivity and physical well-being of the students.

"The work can get quite theoretical and we don't want them to just stay sitting and be passive, it's not good for them," principal Gerald Bain-King said.

Parents and students have welcomed the change, with health experts warning that everyone needs to be aware of the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.

Paediatric doctor Daniel Golshevsky said there is a "strong school of thought that believe that sitting is the new smoking".

"Getting these kids moving at an early age is the best defence that we have against obesity and type-two diabetes," he said.

See how the students and teachers interact with the new standing desks in the player above.