The National Rifle Association (NRA) has released a study recommending schools across America train and arm at least one staff member.

The pro-gun lobby group tasked Asa Hutchinson, a former Republican congressman and ex-head of the Drug Enforcement Agency, to develop the recommendations to bolster school security.

His report, which was released in Washington, runs to more than 200 pages and cost $1 million to produce.

The most notable of its eight recommendations is a proposal to make changes to various state laws to allow armed security guards to be put in every school across America.

"Let me emphasise, this is not talking about all teachers. Teachers should teach," Mr Hutchinson said.

"But if there is a personnel that has good experience, that has an interest in it and is willing to go through this training, then that is an appropriate resource that a school should be able to utilise."

The report suggests designated trained school personnel carry weapons ranging from side arms and shotguns to semi-automatic AR-15 rifles.

Their training would consist of 40 to 60 hours of instruction and the NRA says it would cost $800 to $1,000 per person.

The idea drew a sceptical response among commentators.

"Okay, they just want every school, every church, everywhere in America to turn into one giant armed camp," one commentator said.

Mark Mattioli's son James was among the 26 people killed in a school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, in December.

Mr Mattioli appeared as a "special guest" at the press conference, applauding the NRA's plan.

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"I'm putting it on you, I'm putting it on the experts out there to do something with these recommendations, to implement solutions so people don't have to go through what I'm going through," he said.

"I was on Google this morning and I Googled 'school shootings' and it showed nine school shootings since Newtown."

While the NRA commissioned the study, Mr Hutchinson says his 12-member panel was fully independent.

The report also proposes security accords between schools and law enforcement, an online safety assessment tool for schools, state safety standards and improved federal coordination for school safety.

In a statement, the NRA said it is "determined to continue to use every asset at its disposal to help make America's children safe at school".

Plan criticised

In a statement, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said the new proposal would fail to keep schools safe.

She urged Congress to enact gun-control legislation.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the proposal could get the federal government in the business of supplying arms to teachers and heighten the risk that students could be funnelled into the criminal justice system.

Marian Wright Edelman, the president of the Children's Defence Fund, an advocacy group, also condemned the proposal.

So too did the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, which said the report "is not the conversation the American people want to have".

The timing of the NRA announcement is no coincidence.

The Senate is set to debate gun control legislation when politicians return from the spring recess next week.

But even the prospects for expanded background checks for gun buyers - something that studies show the vast majority of Americans support - now look dim.

President Barack Obama was accused of misplaying his hand immediately after the shooting and has now forfeited the momentum.

ABC/Reuters