Children as young as five will undergo a firearm safety course this year in the Republican-led state of Tennessee, AFP reported. This is the first U.S. state to adopt such a law.

The bill, which makes these lessons mandatory, was approved in 2024 by the state legislature and takes effect in public schools at the start of the new academic year. According to the state education department’s guidelines, students between the ages of five and eight must be able to distinguish a real gun from a toy. They will also be required to demonstrate “responsible behavior toward firearms” and recognize parts such as the trigger, barrel, or muzzle.

The course will be mandatory every school year until high school graduation. Supporters present it as a response to frequent mass shootings in the United States, where guns outnumber people. Following Tennessee, the states of Utah and Arkansas also adopted similar laws.

The guidelines do not specify exactly how the material should be taught or how long the course should last. They explicitly state, however, that live ammunition or real firearms must not be used, and that the subject should be addressed “without political bias.” Schools may invite police officers or public health experts to conduct the lessons.

According to U.S. health authorities, firearms are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the country. Just a week ago, an armed attacker killed two children and injured 14 others at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three adults also shot. The United States has the highest rate of gun-related deaths among developed nations. | BGNES