Starting this year, students in public schools in Tennessee will be required to complete firearm safety classes. This will be the first time across the U.S. that annual firearm education is mandated for all grades, leading to heated debates over the educational process and its legitimacy.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 2nd (local time), Tennessee will implement firearm safety education for all grades starting this year. This action follows the state's passage of relevant legislation, which requires students to take mandatory classes on firearms from kindergarten onward. Tennessee is the first state to mandate this at the state level, and similar legislation has since been enacted in Arkansas and Utah.
The educational program is said to contain differentiated content based on grade level. Kindergarten students will learn the basic structure of firearms, including the trigger, barrel, and muzzle, gradually moving on to more in-depth topics like firearm storage and risks. However, actual shooting training involving live ammunition will not be included in the classes.
Such education is connected to the frequent firearm incidents in current American society. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearm accidents have been identified as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the U.S., with at least 397,000 students estimated to have experienced gun-related violence since 1999. Notably, Tennessee recorded a 37% higher child gun death rate compared to the national average in 2022, and in 2023, the state ranked 6th in terms of total gun fatalities.
However, Tennessee, often regarded as a stronghold of the Republican Party, has been passing legislation that expands gun ownership. In 2021, the state allowed individuals to carry handguns without government permission and also legalized carrying guns on school grounds. When six people were killed in a shooting at a private school in Nashville in 2023, the state legislature passed a bill allowing full arming of school staff, taking no significant actions to enhance safety regulations.
Reactions in the political arena are sharply divided. Those opposing the mandate agree with the intent of firearm safety education but argue that it is meaningless to impose training on children while loosening direct regulations. Democratic Senator Jeff Yarbro noted, "It is contradictory to eliminate education for adults while forcing it on children." In response, Republican Representative Andy Todd, who proposed the bill, argued, "Fire and earthquake drills are not optional," adding, "This is just about teaching common sense that children can't learn at home."
The public's response regarding the process and legitimacy is also divided. Teachers, who will have to deliver this training, express concern that the classes must be "age-appropriate and politically neutral," but complain that the guidelines are brief and vague, leaving class distribution, specific content, and verification procedures unclear. According to WP, the guidelines issued by the education authorities concerning firearm education comprise only 8 pages.
Reactions from parents also vary. Catherine Merrill, a Nashville resident, said, "Unlike my husband, who enjoys hunting, (the kids) are not familiar with firearms," and added, "Children should learn how to respond if they come across an unattended firearm." In contrast, former teacher Linda Ketchum remarked, "This is just shifting responsibility onto the children," insisting that regulations on firearm safety for adults should come first.