Update: 11 a.m. June 8: Board member Debora Scheffel, who proposed the amendment, told Colorado Politics she’s withdrawing the amendment because it’s “misunderstood.”

The Colorado State Board of Education next week will decide on whether to add amendments to the state’s comprehensive standards for Colorado public education – including one proposed amendment that would promote guns as a means of self-defense for children in fourth grade.

That suggestion was made at the board’s May 9 meeting by Debora Scheffel, who represents the 4th Congressional District on the panel. The discussion centered around final recommendations for comprehensive health and physical education, science, and reading, writing and communicating standards. Those recommendations have been in the works since last October.

The standard for the fourth-grade health curriculum includes safety discussions around guns in the home, school and community, as part of prevention and risk management education, according to staffers of the Colorado Department of Education who spoke at the May 9 meeting.

The draft proposal says “Explain the potential dangers of having weapons at home, in school, and in the community.” Scheffel proposed adding “and benefits for self-defense.”

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Scheffel told her fellow board members she didn’t like the original language because it only talked about the “negative impact” of guns.

“Obviously, there have been horrific school shootings” she added, but the standards should not use biased language, which she said doesn’t recognize that guns can be used for self-defense.

“For 10-year-olds?” asked board Chair Angelika Schroeder, her voice hinting that she was somewhat incredulous at the idea.

“You’re talking about teaching 10-year-olds about self-defense,” Schroeder replied. “I don’t want my grandson coming to me and asking if I have weapons.” For children, she said, the education should be around ‘don’t touch the thing.'”

Fellow Republican Steve Durham said he agreed that the language showed bias and that he grew up in a home with guns. “When seconds count, the police are minutes away,” he added.

But Schroeder pushed back. “Not for 10-year-olds, Steve. You don’t want a 10-year-old thinking that for self-defense purposes they should go get their parents’ guns.”

Scheffel did not respond to a request for comment.

The gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety reports there have been 84 unintentional shootings by children under the age of 18 so far in 2018. At least 40 of those shootings were committed by children 10 years old and younger. That included a shooting last March by a seven-year-old boy in Arboles, near Pagosa Springs, in which the shooter’s nine-year-old brother died.

The amendment is up for review and a possible vote at the board’s June 13 meeting the Department of Education building at 201 E. Colfax in Denver.