Kenyan teacher Tata Wekesa eyes Guinness World Record for longest science lesson

Wekesa will aim to teach the longest science class ever on February 13, 2024, and hopes she can break the record and hold the Guinness World Record for the longest science lesson by an individual.

Tata, a teacher at St Austin’s Academy Lavington has declared her intention to teach for a minimum of 50 hours.

She will aspire to teach Biology, Chemistry and Physics for at least 50 hours non-stop in these attempts.

“I decided to do this because as a teacher I do not like how science classes are packed and many students end up not fulfilling their potential. I want to show the doable and interesting side of science. I want to motivate young ones in school who want to become teachers by showing a teacher can achieve greater things beyond the classroom,” says Tata.

She has practised teaching for about 12 years now and over the years she has realised almost nine of her students aspire to be teachers. Her mission is to inspire the world and market the career.

“Teaching is a noble career and teachers should be highly esteemed. I intend to use the platform and the record to reach out to bodies that make policies to do with education and advocate for reforms,” she says.

Tata has to conquer sleep and fatigue to achieve the glint victory. She acknowledges it is not an easy task but is determined and euphoric about persevering through the challenge.

“I have been working on building my endurance, I have a team behind me that has helped with the lesson plan. The past three days, I stayed awake for 44 hours to train my body to stay awake,” she said.

She told Citizen Digital the thought of imparting knowledge to younger generations still motivates her to work harder. Her advice to aspiring teachers is to blend their passion for a subject with patience for students.

Tata calls on support from Kenyans and people who want to partner with her.