The number of schools introducing rifle ranges for pupils has surged since ministers backed shooting sports last year, say gun groups.

One local authority is reportedly seeking to introduce shooting at 16 of its schools, and an academy due to open in September in a deprived area of south Bristol is believed to be the first of the government's flagship schools to have an on-site shooting range.

The National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA) told the Guardian there had been a 6% rise in membership from schools since Richard Caborn, then sports minister, backed the sport last May.

Sponsors of the Merchants' Academy, in Bristol, said the sport "encourages discipline", but campaigners and teachers condemned the move, saying it sent the wrong message to children in inner-city areas affected by violent crime.

With official figures this week revealing a 4% year on year increase in gun crime, campaigners have called for a moratorium on gun sports in schools.

Geoff Doe, the NSRA's director of shooting, said discussions were under way with teachers in the Midlands about extending a pilot shooting scheme at one school to a total of 16 .

"It's a sport that requires respect for others, control; it's not an energetic sport, you have to be very concentrated - cool, calm and collected," he said.

"Teachers say that pupils who were disruptive in a classroom environment behave better after training on a range. They learn discipline and respect. The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, the Girl Guides, Scouts and Cadets all promote shooting. People who commit street offences don't come from a [rifle] club background."

The NSRA has about 70 school members or clubs affiliated, the majority in the private sector. Sherbourne school in Dorset has a 25-metre indoor range and pupils at Eton are offered small-bore and full-bore shooting options.

Last May, Caborn said: "We want to boost the number of people who take part in shooting sports, particularly among young adults. We are investing £600m in developing medal winners for 2012 and shooting will benefit greatly from that."

Lyn Costello, co-founder of Mothers Against Murder and Aggression which campaigns against street violence, said: "There is no reason why children should play with toy guns at five let alone real ones at 15. In the present climate we should not be encouraging children to use guns.

"We have to stop this. The whole message we're sending out is mixed. Guns are made to kill, they have no other use.

"It's disgusting that on a weekly basis young people are being killed and then we're spending taxpayers' money on teaching them to shoot."

She said giving children more access to guns could lead to the kind of school massacres seen in the US.

The Home Office reported a 4% rise in gun crime during the third quarter of 2007 this week, compared with the same period in 2006. Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, is expected in the coming month to announce plans for airport-style metal detectors to be installed at hundreds of schools to confront the growing problem of teenage knife crime.

A spokesman for the Merchants' Academy's sponsors, the Society of Merchant Venturers and Bristol University, said the rifle range was integral to the cadet facilities it would have on site. "The children will not be allowed to take the guns off premises and they won't be fired except under the most controlled circumstances. It reflects what is common in the independent sector and not unknown in the state sector," the spokesman said.

"There is a great deal of enthusiasm from people who regard this as a well-established tradition and it is felt to have benefits in fostering a disciplined environment."

John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, said: "Any school has to be cautious about the subliminal messages it is passing to young people by doing that. It is an Olympic sport, but at a time when there are concerns over gun crime among young people they may get the impression guns are an appropriate symbol of power."

Guns in the UK

1,360,800

Number of legal shotguns in the UK

368,658

Number of legal firearms in the UK excluding shotguns - 67% are rifles

200,000

Smallest estimate of illegal firearms in the UK, from Acpo. Other experts have estimated the number could be as high as 4m

10,182

The number of firearms offences recorded by police by September last year - up 4% on the year before

4,284

involve handguns, the biggest single number

 Polly Curtis

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/26/ukguns.schools 

Comments (3)

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Knee jerk reactions
written by ManOtheWoods , February 21, 2008

Whilst I appreciate that gun crime is a problem in some areas of this country I feel that evrytime somebody says that using a rifel or a gun might have something positive to offer you get groups such as those in the Mothers against murder and Agression that start screaming Dunblane or Columbine. I totaly agree with the point about discipline and concentration. As an ex cadet we were always going to the ranges with our squadron. The rules and regulations are very strict and anyone who so much as speaks at the wrong time whilst on the range is severely repremanded. Shooting any weapon whether it be a bow, slingshot or rifle requires a massive amount of concentration and discipline somethin which schools severley lack in. Gun crime won't be reduced if tell children that they are no longer allowed to use rifles. As with so many pieces of legislation it only serves to penalise the law abiding and make it look like the Government is doing something. I wonder what WAMaA would say if we said we were going to show our children how to use knives properly or teach them the secrets of being a good bowman!

...
written by Tommyboy , February 22, 2008

I must admit I come to this as incredibly biased!

I have been shooting for my entire life (currently in early 20s). I learnt with my dad when I was tall enough to hold an airgun, before graduating onto smallbore and fullbore rifles and shotguns. I shoot for the enjoyment of target shooting, to put food into the pot, to control pests and vermin, and also through training received in the Army Cadets and the TA. I was brought up on a diet of having safety (e.g. trigger fingers, safety catches, muzzle awareness, not messing about, storing unloaded etc.) drummed into me as well as various dictums such as "all the pheasants ever bred won't repay for one man dead" and "good shooting is no accident". In my opinion this combination of training has equipped me well for life, as it seems to have done for the people I shoot with; all balanced, sane, normal, individuals.

I fully understand the lethality of guns and therefore treat ownership and use of them as an immense responsibility. I have never been in trouble with the police. I think the anti gun lobby do not really understand the issues and are trying to punish responsible gun owners rather than addressing the more difficult issues of criminality and poverty. As usual!

ignorance is key
written by nakedfiremaker , February 26, 2008

I like most little boys had a strange facination with guns, my mum did not. I was never allowed near an air rifle or anything else which just served to fuel my facination. Eventually, a freind and i got hold of an air rifle and had to keep it hidden or we would get in trouble. My mum found out, and that was that, i was in big trouble.

Basically at that age and woth no experience or training, i was a danger to myself and others.

A few years later i joined the army cadets, and did a lot of shooting, but under extreme safegaurds and with strict disipline. I remeber fireing an L85-A1 on the first "watch and shoot" once (instead of the 2nd watch and shoot) and damn did i get beasted. I got a firm smack round the back of the head and was made to hold 2 rilfes our at arms length (this is a lot harder than it sounds) while i was lectured and shouted at. It did the trick and i never made that mistake again.

Thanks to my early exposure to firearms and first class training, to this day i am constantly aware that my finger is never on the trigger until i intend to shoot, i have never pointed my rifle at anyone and so on and so on.

I own a air rifle today, but between leaving cadet and buying that air gun there was a 10 year gap.

I think what i'm trying to say is that i got it all out of my system when i was young and under proper supervision using way better weapons than anything you can buy outside of the military. We fired L98's, L85's, L81's, #8's and i even had a go on a GMPG once.

Personally, in the absence of national service, i think joining one of the cadet forces should be more stronlgy encouraged by the government and parents alike.

I have never shot any one and never will, i dont have a hooky 9mm under my pillow and i have no obsession with guns. If the need arises for me to handle a weapon, i can do it with all the safety of a professional soldier.

I can also spell liek a professional soldier

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