Texas teachers authorised to carry guns

A Texas school district will allow teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms to protect against school shootings when classes begin this month, provided the gun-toting employees follow certain requirements.

David Thweatt, superintendent of the Harrold Independent School District, says the small community of Harrold in north Texas is a 30-minute drive from the Wilbarger County Sheriff's Office, leaving students and teachers without protection.

He argues the lone campus of the 110-student district sits near a heavily travelled highway, which could make it a target.

Mr Thweatt said in a story published on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's website: "When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started."