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 selected 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 constituents 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 a great number of children in the U S grow up around firearms At Berclair Elementary School in Memphis a class of fifth graders were urged how countless had seen a real gun Nearly all raised their hands It just shows you how much a class like this is needed reported Tammie Chapman a fitness and physical learning instructor who has been leading the lessons at this school While there is particular disagreement around guns there doesn t constantly have to be revealed Emily Buck director of citizens relations for the Tennessee Wildlife Guidance Agency which created a curriculum with the state Department of Learning I think that having various tuition and foundational knowledge really can be beneficial in the long run Stop don t touch leave briskly 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 bill 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 unit that could include live guns The main takeaway is a series of initiatives for when a child finds a gun Stop don t touch leave swiftly 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 competition to keep students engaged In the gym students took turns running to buckets that had different photos Students who detected a picture of a gun then stated it to one of the adults They also listened to a catchy jingle emphasizing the efforts Buck acknowledged that adults might be the ones responsible for creating unsafe situations at home and announced children should be prepared if they find guns in uncommon spots like on shelves or under a mattress We hope that maybe students will take certain of what they learned back to their house back to the parents and maybe they ll encourage their parents to adjust their storage method reported Buck The lessons are supposed to be neutral Gun act 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 instruction bills in Arkansas Tennessee and Utah The regulation 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 ordinance The organization supports gun ownership and advocates for policies like expanded background checks These lessons may encourage families to start necessary conversations reported 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 stated Jaglois In the U S Centers for Sickness 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 several Democrats and gun control advocates argue this kind of ordinance 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 stated Meg Beauregard approach counsel fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety in a comment 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 a few 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 specific 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 Competition and Fish Commission We hope they will interject this in a way that kind of helps to maybe prevent particular 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 reported Griffith Berclair Principal Clint Davis revealed 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 constantly been there revealed Davis And I think we re just now really responding to the need to provide that sort of training in school Sainz stated from Memphis Tennessee Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise in Nashville and Associated Press input journalist Kasturi Pananjady in Philadelphia contributed to this record