Firearms Ed, Drivers Ed, Sex Ed.
 

There are many classic examples of why a US citizen should know how to use a firearm, specifically a rifle or pistol. Many point to Switzerland’s statistics, having a well trained populace and a significantly lower number of violent crimes committed and in the USA...

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More info: This links to a blog authored by the enthusiastic 17 year old young lady who just took 1st place in the NRA Women on Target National Matches in BOTH Smallbore Rifle and High Power Rifle. She is brilliant and beautiful and has a lot to say.

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North vs south
 

when i enlisted in the service back in 78 when we got to weapons training the north vs south thing was most obvious.
The guys (and gals) from the south / south east and north west had at least a basic knowledge of weapons and shooting. Most of the ones from the north / north east didn't know which end of the weapon the bullet came out of .They had no gun sense and no gun safety. Some of them were downright dangerous the first time handling a weapon.
IMHO firearm safety should be taught in school as book work from the first grade and by 6th grade they should be shooting a bb gun.
by high school they should least have the option of taking an elective
to learn and shoot long guns and pistols.

You make some great points, with which I agree. But I will add that parents (and grandparents) can start children out shooting much earlier.

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Every parent needs to decide when their children are capable of safely handling and absorbing firearms training. Here is the author of the article with her first deer. She explains:

I have been shooting since I was a little girl. You could say that I have been preparing for most of my life. I shot my first deer at age 5.

At age 6, I was moving through the NRA small-bore rifle qualifications. When asked how long I have been shooting, answering vaguely with “about a decade” raises some eyebrows. My dad started me shooting in our backyard (we had a lot of space :)) when I was very young. The motivation started as “Everyone should know how to handle a rifle, and use it.” I am lucky enough to live in a free country, but that freedom comes with a price, as the many members of the American armed forces know well. Shooting is a recreational sport for me, one that I enjoy, but the skills gained can mean the difference in living or dying. America’s founders thought it so important, the “right to keep and bear arms” was the Second Amendment to the Constitution! I want to have the skills to exercise my rights, “bear arms”, not just keep them. from https://willtoprepare.wordpress.com/...ll-to-prepare/

One seldom acquires a very high level or proficiency in sporting disciplines unless practice opportunities are provided by the parents at a young age. Starting at 12 is certainly better than starting at 18, but just like golf, tennis, gymnastics, etc., the ultimate level of achievement in shooting sports will be higher if practice begins earlier.

Most states do not even have a minimum hunting age for children directly supervised by a parent, and ages range from 10-16 for hunting without supervision. Having the hunter education course is the near universal requirement. I think my own children were allowed to hunt by themselves (with me a short distance away) by their early teens. But when I was right there, my wife and I were comfortable with them hunting and shooting at much younger ages, beginning with well supported positions.