Some states now require public schools to teach kids about gun safety

NASHVILLE Tenn AP This school year students in elementary middle and high schools in several states will get a new lesson on safety what to do if they find a firearm Arkansas Tennessee and Utah are the first states to enact laws that require residents schools to teach children as young as the basics of gun safety and how to properly store guns in the home Only Utah s law allows students to opt out of the lesson if requested by parents or guardians A similar law in Arizona was vetoed by the Democratic governor and lawmakers in at least five other states have introduced such proposals putting schools at the forefront of yet another debate about gun violence In Tennessee lesson plans could include stickers games quizzes or videos with music and colorful firearm illustrations including a gun made out of Lego-style bricks and an explanation of what a muzzleloader is The reality is that multiple children in the U S grow up around firearms At Berclair Elementary School in Memphis a class of fifth graders were demanded how a multitude of had seen a real gun Nearly all raised their hands It just shows you how much a class like this is needed announced Tammie Chapman a physical condition and physical learning instructor who has been leading the lessons at this school While there is specific conflict around guns there doesn t reliably have to be explained Emily Buck director of constituents relations for the Tennessee Wildlife Tools Agency which created a curriculum with the state Department of Guidance I think that having a few learning and foundational knowledge really can be beneficial in the long run Stop don t touch leave fleetly tell an adult The lessons are often adapted from hunting safety courses already administered by state hunting and wildlife agencies but with key differences Hunter safety courses typically involve hands-on instruction and explanations of how to safely handle and fire a gun These classroom lessons on the other hand emphasize that children should not touch a firearm In Tennessee the rule prohibits any use of actual firearms but in Arkansas the law allows parents to opt into alternative curriculums such as an off-campus firearm safety program that could include live guns The main takeaway is a series of measures for when a child finds a gun Stop don t touch leave expeditiously tell an adult This is consistent with instructions created by other organizations including one from the National Rifle Association that features animated characters videos and coloring pages At Berclair Elementary School the faculty designed a relay-race match to keep students engaged In the gym students took turns running to buckets that had different photos Students who identified a picture of a gun then informed it to one of the adults They also listened to a catchy jingle emphasizing the attempts Buck acknowledged that adults might be the ones responsible for creating unsafe situations at home and disclosed children should be prepared if they find guns in strange spots like on shelves or under a mattress We hope that maybe students will take particular of what they learned back to their house back to the parents and maybe they ll encourage their parents to adjust their storage method explained Buck The lessons are supposed to be neutral Gun provision is a partisan issue across the U S with Democratic-led states enacting more limits on access to guns and efforts to tighten gun laws often failing in Republican-controlled legislatures Republicans sponsored and supported the mentoring bills in Arkansas Tennessee and Utah The ordinance says the curriculum must have neutral viewpoints on any gun-related topics such as gun ownership in general Voices for a Safer Tennessee a nonpartisan nonprofit created by parents after The Covenant School shooting in Nashville supported the measure The organization supports gun ownership and advocates for policies like expanded background checks These lessons may encourage families to start necessary conversations noted Jessica Jaglois director of communications for the organization It could possibly prevent a firearm tragedy from occurring because we know that a moment of access can lead to a lifetime of tragedy reported Jaglois In the U S Centers for Illness Control and Prevention ascertained that firearms were the leading cause of death among children and teens Arkansas and Tennessee have rates of firearm deaths among children and teens that exceed the national average according to an AP analysis But certain Democrats and gun control advocates argue this kind of decree is the wrong approach to gun violence Using the school day to teach kids about guns won t stop adults from leaving their firearms unsecured or keeping deadly weapons out of dangerous hands disclosed Meg Beauregard approach counsel fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety in a announcement If lawmakers were serious about protecting students they d pass laws that hold adults accountable such as secure storage not put the burden on kids to keep themselves safe How will schools teach the lessons The states gave school districts particular discretion on whether to use provided lesson plans or go with other instructions that adhere to the laws language The schools also can decide which faculty or staff will lead the lessons or in selected instances bring in police officers to talk about gun safety In Arkansas schools might choose to incorporate the lessons as a part of annual safety training such as when they are practicing fire safety or tornado drills explained Spencer Griffith a deputy director with Arkansas Encounter and Fish Commission We hope they will interject this in a way that kind of helps to maybe prevent several of these accidents from occurring but not in a way that puts a political focus or fear around that because it s just not the place for that mentioned Griffith Berclair Principal Clint Davis stated the issue of children getting hurt in firearm accidents is not new even if this curriculum is It s not something that s necessarily just become a modern issue It s inevitably been there announced Davis And I think we re just now really responding to the need to provide that sort of training in school Sainz revealed from Memphis Tennessee Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise in Nashville and Associated Press input journalist Kasturi Pananjady in Philadelphia contributed to this document