Children as young as five will now be required to take gun safety classes in Tennessee, the first US state to implement such a law.
The legislation, passed by the Republican-led state legislature in 2024, took effect this academic year as schools reopened after the summer break. The courses will be mandatory annually from kindergarten through high school.
According to guidelines issued by the Tennessee Department of Education, pupils aged five to eight should be able to distinguish real guns from toy replicas, identify basic parts of a firearm such as the trigger, barrel and muzzle, and “demonstrate a responsible attitude regarding firearms.”
Advocates say the initiative is a response to the rising toll of school shootings in the United States, where there are more guns than people. Guns are now the leading cause of death among American children and adolescents, according to federal health officials.
Tennessee’s law has already inspired similar measures in Utah and Arkansas. However, the guidelines stop short of prescribing how the classes should be taught or how long they should last. They also stress that teachers must not use “live ammunition, live fire, or live firearms” and should remain “viewpoint neutral on political topics.”
School districts may enlist law enforcement officers or public health experts to help deliver the lessons.
The new mandate comes amid renewed concern over gun violence in the US. Last week, a heavily armed attacker stormed a Catholic church in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring at least 17 others, including three adults.
The United States continues to have the highest gun fatality rate of any developed nation.
