We used to do this as a normal part of Education; glad to see it happening again

I believe that much of the problem is the de-normalizing of firearms in society – again, if we go back to the last century, when Boomers were in school, it was not uncommon to see hunting rifles in the back of pickups, school shooting teams, and outside organizations teach kids how to responsibly handle and use them.  For me, it was my Dad showing me how with a .22 cal rifle and then an air rifle shooting range in the basement of my church where they sponsored an alternative to the BSA (Christian Service Brigade).

Iowa schools starting mandatory firearms training classes this spring
Seventh- and eighth-graders must take class; it’s optional for high school students

Butler County Conservation will be teaching a mandatory course in hunter safety through the physical education curriculum, the website Radio Iowa reported. High school students in grades 9-12 will also be able to receive the training, but it is not mandatory. Joel Foster, superintendent of North Butler Community Schools and Clarksville Community Schools, told Radio Iowa that the course was designed for the safety of students and staff.

“What we do best is educate our kids,” he said. “We feel if we educate our kids in how to use weapons responsibly, how to respect them, understand it’s not a video game and those sort of things, that maybe we’ll cut down on our chances of having a severe incident.” Foster told the news outlet that he knows not every student will become a hunter. But he wants to expose all students to firearm safety, a skill they can use for hunting or protection.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” Foster told the radio station. “If my 12-year-old girl is out babysitting a 3-year-old and the 3-year-old walks out of mom and dad’s bedroom with a handgun or a shotgun, she needs to know how to handle that. That’s one of the scenarios we don’t really think about. It’s better to be proactive than reactive and this is the best way we could think of to be proactive with things.”

Yes, parents can opt their kids out of the class.  I can tell you that this is the LAST thing that the anti-gunners want – they’re trying to scare the crap out of anyone that comes within a 100 yards of said inanimate objects.  Here, applaud both the professional educators and the School Board for realizing that the problem is not with the hunks  of metal, plastic, and some chemicals but with the people picking them up and then using them for really bad reasons.  Consider this (simplistically speaking) as learning firearms manners, responsibility, and respect.

It all goes back to Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

(H/T: The Blaze)