10/12/2026
🎒 A new curriculum mandate
Tennessee has become the first state to require gun safety training for all public school students. Governor Bill Lee recently signed legislation that adds these lessons to the curriculum starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The law aims to prevent accidental shootings by teaching children how to respond if they encounter a weapon.
🛡️ Safety focused instruction
The curriculum will be tailored by grade level, covering kindergarten through high school. State departments will develop the specifics, but the law bars the use of live am******on or actual fi****ms during these lessons. Key components of the training include understanding that a fi***rm is not a toy, learning the stop, don't touch, and notify an adult protocol, and covering general fi***rm safety and secure storage.
🏫 State collaboration and rollout
The Tennessee Department of Education, working with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Department of Safety, will create the instructional materials. Schools must offer this training every year so the information stays fresh. Supporters say the mandate gives every child a baseline of safety knowledge, no matter what they're taught at home.
⚖️ Perspectives on the legislation
Backers of the law say early education reduces fi***rm-related accidents among youth, and that teaching kids the dangers and proper procedures around guns can save lives. Others disagree, arguing that fi***rm education should stay with parents, or that the curriculum should address gun violence prevention more broadly.
🚨 Setting a national example
Tennessee is now the first state to put gun safety instruction into its public school curriculum. As other states watch how the program rolls out, the results will show whether this model has staying power. The focus right now is giving students the information they need to stay safe in a country where fi****ms are common.
Facts checked by
Sources:
Associated Press
CBS News
ABC News
