Shooting training is now mandatory in schools in Poland, a country which shares a border with Ukraine. Some in Switzerland also believe that Swiss students should follow suit.
In March 2024, MP Nils Fiechter of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) proposed introducing mandatory firearms training in primary schools.
“The training of citizens in the use of weapons must take place as early as possible,” he argued at the time, adding that this skill is especially important to ensure readiness in case of invasion.
And in line with Switzerland’s “responsible gun culture“, shooting courses would be integrated into a school curriculum, along with firearms training, Feichter said.
This idea was, however… shot down by Nadja Günthör, a deputy from his own party who said that “firearms have about as much place in a classroom as disco balls”.
This approach would also backfire from a psychological perspective, according to Philipp Ramming, president of the Swiss Association for Child and Adolescent Psychology (ASPEA).
He pointed out that teaching Swiss students how to handle weapons is counterproductive.
“The Poles have the enemy at their doorstep, but Switzerland is not currently facing a real threat,” he said.
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Culture and mentality
The fact is that many Swiss kids are already skilled sharpshooters, though their education comes from schools of a different type: shooting federations.
From the earliest age, guns are viewed in two sensible ways: one, as part of everyone’s patriotic and civic duty to protect Switzerland from enemies.
This is especially true for boys, who will have to serve in the military once they turn 18, and sharpshooting will be a required skill (women can volunteer but are not obliged to serve).
Secondly, from a non-military point of view, guns – and good shooting skills – are part of the sports and recreation culture: numerous people, kids and adults alike, practise target shooting as a hobby.
For them, it is the same as any other sport which requires preparation and discipline to succeed.
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A sure shot
The Swiss learn to shoot from an early age from specially trained instructors, and they develop a deep sense of responsibility toward their firearms.
Once they join a youth section of their local shooting federation, some of which accept children as young as five, they are taught essential safety skills such as how to take care of their weapon and how to secure it, even before they fire their first (supervised) shot.
One club, called Youth + Sports, which operates under the auspices of the Sports Ministry, says on its website that sharpshooting with the rifle is a popular activity for young people because it “combines concentration, precision, and body control”.
The government is funding these clubs and instructors, monitoring their activities to ensure that everyone follows the safety and other rules.
One way youngsters display their shooting skills is the Knabenschiessen festival, held every September in the hills over Zurich, where 12- to 16-year-olds gather for Switzerland’s (and possibly the world’s too) largest youth rifle competition.
At the end, the “king” or “queen” is crowned at the event – the teenager who is the best shot and scores the most points.
