A total of 1,018 students from the fifth and sixth years of 26 Flemish primary schools turned out yesterday at Technopolis in Mechelen to break the world record for the biggest chemistry lesson ever held. The previous record, set by 837 students from schools in the UK, dated from 2012.
The Flemish record initiative was organised by Technopolis and Essencia, the federation for the chemicals, plastics and life-sciences industries. The event will now be included in the Guinness World Records.
The lesson was led by Flemish meteorologist Frank De Boosere and education minister Hilde Crevits. Among other experiments, children learned to make hair gel and "super slime" and how to produce fizzy gasses that overflowed their cylinders.
The initiative kicked off Essencia's Chemistry Week. On 9 and 10 May, the chemistry sector hosts Open Door Days, with Technopolis launching its first Chemistry Festival, the result of a co-operation between several Flemish universities, colleges and research centres.