From correspondents in Americas, 08:01 AM IST

A teacher and 120 students at a school in northern Colombia, who endured a 74-hour science lesson to raise funds for charity, want their feat to appear in the Guinness Book of Records.

The chemistry and natural science lesson started Friday (Aug 8) and ended the following Monday, at the Alfonso Lopez Pumarejo school in Turbaco, in the province of Bolivar, the Bogota daily El Tiempo reported Wednesday.

The students managed to raise about $2,660 for the Fundevida Foundation, which treats 70 children suffering from cancer.

In keeping with Guinness rules, the students could rest for five minutes per hour. But they opted to take longer breaks after 4-6 hours of continuous studying.

The school's officials called in a notary and reporter, with a view to having Guinness World Records acknowledge the feat.

The 30-year-old teacher, Giovanni Cogollo, said: 'It is not just about breaking a record. What we want to do with this effort is to awaken a spirit of solidarity with others.'

(Staff Writer, © IANS)