Tennessee becomes first US state to introduce gun safety classes in schools: What children as young as five will be taught

In Republican-run Tennessee, the new academic year is beginning with an unprecedented mandate: children as young as five will now take annual gun safety classes. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the state has become the first in the United States to pass such a law, requiring every public school student, from kindergarten through the end of high school, to undergo firearms education. The law, passed by the Tennessee legislature in 2024, comes into effect this fall, signaling how deeply America’s struggle with gun violence is shaping even the earliest stages of education.

Inside the classroom: What five-year-olds will learn

Guidelines issued by the Tennessee Department of Education, reveal what this pioneering course looks like in practice. For pupils between the ages of five and eight, lessons include distinguishing a toy gun from a real firearm and identifying basic parts such as the trigger, barrel, and muzzle.The curriculum also stresses behavior: Children are expected to “demonstrate a responsible attitude regarding firearms,” according to the Tennessee Department of Education guidelines cited by AFP. Teachers, however, are explicitly barred from using “live ammunition, live fire, or live firearms,” the guidelines state. What is left unsaid is how much time these classes will take or what teaching methods should be used — leaving educators with considerable discretion.

Schools may invite local police officers or public health experts to help deliver sessions, according to the state’s guidance.

A response to an epidemic of violence

Supporters frame the move as a practical response to a grim reality. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States, public health officials say. As AFP reports, advocates argue that familiarizing students with safety protocols could help prevent accidents and prepare them for emergencies. Yet the announcement also arrives in a country still reeling from a wave of mass shootings. Just last week, a heavily armed attacker stormed a Catholic church attached to a school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing two children and injuring at least 14 others. Three adults were also wounded in the assault — another reminder of how pervasive the threat has become.

A growing trend across Republican-led states

While Tennessee is the first to mandate gun safety classes, it may not remain alone for long. AFP notes that Utah and Arkansas have already passed similar laws, signaling the start of a broader push across Republican-led states. The precise design of these courses may differ, but the philosophy is shared: That students must be taught about firearms early and regularly.Still, the Tennessee guidelines insist that lessons remain “viewpoint neutral on political topics,”AFP reported, reflecting the highly charged debate that gun rights and gun control provoke in America.

What this means for children, educators, and policymakers

For Tennessee’s youngest students, the school year will now include conversations about triggers and muzzles alongside reading and arithmetic. For teachers, it raises complex questions about training, capacity, and responsibility. And for policymakers, it offers a glimpse into how education systems are being reshaped by public health crises that extend far beyond the classroom. The United States, according to AFP, has the highest gun violence fatality rate of any developed nation. In that context, Tennessee’s move is both radical and revealing — a sign of how far the normalization of firearms has entered American life, even at the level of elementary education. As lawmakers in other states watch closely, one thing is clear: The debate over how schools should address gun violence is no longer theoretical. It is now part of the daily curriculum for children as young as five.