From the Press-Enterprise:
Assemblyman Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, is pushing legislation meant to reduce accidental shootings by adding an optional firearms safety curriculum for the state’s 6.1 million K-12 students. . . .
“Guns are just a fact of life,” Dutton said. “I think it’s really important for young people to understand how dangerous they are and what they should do if they come into contact with them.” . . .
But some gun-control advocates question the wisdom of teaching students about firearm safety at a time when many schools have taken a zero-tolerance approach to guns.
“It would become a bit of a challenge if you mix the two. Our view is that guns have no place on a public school campus,” said Ronald Stephens, executive director of the National School Safety Center near Los Angeles. . . .
Schools and school districts in California already have the right to teach gun safety if they choose. Dutton’s bill is intended to create a uniform curriculum.
In Riverside County, Kraft’s school district decided to use the NRA’s Eddie Eagle gun-safety program in the late 1990s. However, the curriculum fell by the wayside amid growing demands on teachers’ time from standardized tests on writing, reading and mathematics, said Kathy Wright, Alvord’s assistant superintendent for student services.
Under Dutton’s bill, the state Board of Education would develop the gun-safety curriculum. The lawmaker predicted that state officials would nix the idea of using real guns or replicas as part of the lessons — something that is done in other states.
“It could be something like a field trip to a local police station,” Dutton said. . . .
Fontana parent Sharon Allmond dismissed Dutton’s bill as misguided.
“I think that’s a parent’s choice,” Allmond said. “I don’t think schools should be getting involved in teaching kids about gun safety.” . . .
Thanks to Robert Butchko for the pointer.
Comments are closed.