Starting this school year, some states will include a new safety lesson in their public schools: what to do if a child finds a gun. Arkansas, Tennessee, and Utah have passed laws requiring these lessons for students as young as age 5. In Utah, parents can choose to opt their children out of the classes.
These laws mark a new step in how schools approach gun safety. The lessons aim to teach kids the basic steps to stay safe around firearms without encouraging them to handle guns. The main message is simple: if you see a gun, stop, don’t touch it, leave the area quickly, and tell an adult.
In Tennessee, for example, the lessons are designed to be fun and engaging. They include games, quizzes, colorful videos, and even a catchy song to help students remember what to do. One Memphis elementary school made a relay race where kids would recognize pictures of guns and report them to teachers. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency helped create the curriculum in cooperation with the state’s Department of Education.
The idea behind these programs is that many children in the U.S. grow up around guns, whether at home or elsewhere. At Berclair Elementary in Memphis, nearly all fifth graders have seen a real gun. In that community, teachers felt this kind of education was important. “It just shows you why a class like this is needed,” said one instructor.
The lessons differ from traditional hunter safety courses, which often involve hands-on gun handling and firing techniques. These new school programs focus on avoiding guns and recognizing the danger they pose. Tennessee’s law even bans the use of actual firearms in the lessons. Meanwhile, Arkansas allows parents to choose if their children attend a more hands-on, off-campus course that may involve live guns.
Supporters of these classes say they are neutral and apolitical. While gun laws have become a highly charged political subject, the education laws were introduced and passed mostly by Republican lawmakers in the three states. The curriculum avoids taking sides on gun ownership issues and is meant solely to teach basic safety.
Parents and groups like Voices for a Safer Tennessee see value in these lessons. They hope it will help children avoid accidents and encourage better gun storage at home. “Maybe students will take some of what they learned back to their parents,” said one spokesperson.
However, not everyone agrees these lessons are enough. Gun control advocates argue that putting the responsibility on children isn’t the answer. They say laws should focus on adults, like requiring safe gun storage, rather than teaching kids how to protect themselves.
Local schools have some flexibility in how they teach the lessons. Some might include the new safety tips during regular safety training like fire drills. Others might bring in police officers or use different materials so long as they follow the law.
At Berclair Elementary, principal Clint Davis said gun accidents have always been a concern. These lessons don’t solve the whole problem but give kids important tools to stay safe.
With firearms as the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S., new efforts like these lessons may help prevent tragedies. Still, the debate over how best to keep children safe from gun violence continues to challenge communities and lawmakers alike.