Kuliarchar science class could set new Guinness World Record

Under a 415,000 square foot field space, Professor Muhammed Zafar Iqbal taught a practical science and ICT class to 3,200 school students in the Kuliarchar Upazila of Kishoreganj on Wednesday.

The Upazila’s administration hopes the Guinness Book of World Records will consider the event to be “largest practical science lesson”.

Shahjalal University Computer Science and Information Technology Professor Muhammed Zafar Iqbal began teaching the students from fifth to seventh standard from 12pm following an hour-long mock class, said Kuliarchar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Urmi Binte Salam.

Eighty science and ICT teachers from various schools and colleges in Kuliarchar Upazila helped the professor conduct the class.

Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Bhairab-Kuliarchar Parliamentary BCB President Nazmul Hasan Papon were also present to encourage the participation of students.  

At the end of class the students were handed their science textbooks, as Pete Seeger's “We Shall Overcome” played in the background.

Australia currently holds the Guinness world record for the largest school-level practical science class in the world.

The record was set on Aug 16 of last year, when 2,900 students in Queensland participated in a practical science class.

According to UNO Urmi, “The Guinness authorities granted our request to register the attempt on Nov 14.”

The ‘classroom’ made on the Kuliarchar fields was 246 feet long and 172 feet wide, with a height of 10 feet. It also made use of 21 LED screens.

The 3,200 students were seated in groups of two. The first hour-and-a-half of the two hour class was taken up by practical instruction and the last half hour was used for discussion.

“Many of Bangladesh’s students are not interested in studying science for one reason or another,“ said Muhammed Zafar Iqbal.

“But I hope that news of the record would rekindle interest. And I believe some of the students who participated today will be enthusiastic about studying science in the future.”