This spring, two Iowa counties are making hunter safety part of the required curriculum. Students who attend schools within the North Butler and the Clarksville Community School Districts will take the course, which will be taught by the Butler County Conservation Officer, as part of the P.E. curriculum. While students will learn how to safely handle firearms, there will not be any active weapons or shooting during the course, KWWL.com reports.

“We’re hoping it brings to light that handguns are real,” said Superintendent Joel Foster. “Also, how to deal with them, so we don’t have a tragic accident. Some of what they’ll learn in the course is controlling and managing your weapon, making sure it’s unlocked, and just basic safety practices you need to follow.”

While a completed hunter safety course is required in many states to legally hunt, Foster points out that gun safety and knowing how to handle firearms is beneficial to anyone – even those who never plan to hunt.

“For instance,” said Foster, “if you have a 13 or 14-year-old girl who may be babysitting somewhere where the guns aren’t locked up in the house. And one of the little ones comes out with one, they’ll have an idea of how to handle one and how to put it away safely.”

According to KWWL.com, seventh and eighth graders will be required to complete the course at North Butler; only eighth graders will be required to do so at Clarksville. For students interested in other grades, there will an option evening course available.