Gun safety becomes homework: Here’s which US states now require schools to teach it

A new kind of classroom lesson is emerging across parts of the United States, one that moves beyond mathematics, science, and social studies. This school year, students as young as five in several states are being formally taught what to do if they come across a firearm. Arkansas, Tennessee, and Utah have become the first states to pass laws mandating gun safety lessons in public schools. The new requirement extends from elementary to high school levels, marking a significant expansion of the classroom’s role in addressing the realities of gun culture in America. Of the three, only Utah’s legislation allows parents or guardians to opt their children out of the programme. The new curriculum focuses on what educators describe as “foundational safety knowledge” rather than instruc