Schoolchildren should be given
the chance to shoot at an early
age because handling guns can
promote trust, concentration and
self-discipline, a head teacher has
said.
Pupils as young as eight can pick
up vital life skills by taking part in
activities such as clay pigeon
shooting, it is claimed.
West Rise Junior School in
Eastbourne is believed to be the
first state-funded institution in
the country to take primary-age
pupils on a shooting trip.
The school – which has access to
120 acres of marshland leased
from the local council – already
offers a range of outdoor
activities designed to promote
respect for the countryside such
as boating, fishing and bird
watching. Pupils also help to rear
a range of animals including
water buffalo.
But today it emerged that the
school has gone a step further by
giving pupils aged eight to 11
the chance to take part in a day’s
shooting activities.
Mike Fairclough, the head, said
shooting was common among
private schools but was almost
unheard of in the state system.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he
added: “It is very much about
being outside and having a
healthy and open-minded
approach to guns. Most people,
particularly in towns and cities,
will associate guns with gang
culture, Uzis and drugs.
“But in the countryside, a
shotgun is a tool that serves a
purpose and if it is used safely
and effectively it’s completely
fine.”
Some 30 children at the school –
which takes several pupils from
poor council estates – took part
in the shoot day last term. It
involved clay pigeon shooting
with shotguns and target
shooting using air rifles. Pupils
were also taught about the role
of gun dogs.
Mr Fairclough insisted it was
carried out under the
supervision of experts from the
British Association of Shooting
and Conservation, with pupils
handling shotguns in special
cages.
The disclosure was criticised by
Gill Marshall-Andrews, from UK
Gun Control Network.
She told the Times Educational
Supplement: “Guns are
dangerous weapons which are
frequently misused. No child
should be taught to shoot until
the age of 18 when they assume
adult rights and responsibilities.”
But Mr Fairclough said the
activities boosted levels of
concentration and focus,
improved pupils’ eye-hand
coordination and promoted
trust.
“We had lovely sweet little eight-
year-old girls shooting massive
shotguns but they didn’t then go
around killing everyone
afterwards; they just saw it as an
activity that they enjoyed,” he
said.
He added: “We need to get
beyond that Victorian, behind
desks model of education and
get children actively involved. We
are a successful school, rated
good with excellent features by
inspectors, because we teach
this way.
"We trust independent school
children everywhere to shoot at
this age, so why do we not trust
children at state-run schools?”
The Preparatory School Rifle
Association currently works with
young children in 43 private
schools.
Mary Eveleigh, its secretary, told
the TES that shooting could teach
children to control their
emotions and think about the
consequences of their actions –
vital for behaviour management.
“There is no legal or physical
barrier to teaching shooting
from a young age, so why
delay?” she said. “The benefits
that shooting brings are as
applicable to younger students
as older ones and there is an
argument that the younger the
benefits and skills that come
from shooting are installed, the
better the long-term impact.”

So that they would turn out to be COP killers and accidental discharge law officers(police). From personal experience I say gaming(video games, board and strategy games, physical sports etc) helps kids develop their IQ and not shooting.