Kids using rifles in schools is completely legal - for now.

But that is set to change in about four months time when Education Minister Nikki Kaye introduces clear guidelines outlining when it's appropriate for firearms to be on school grounds.

Several MPs raised the issue of guns in schools with Kaye after a Stuff story in April revealed the army allowed 9 to 13-year-olds to get their hands on unloaded guns and learn how to assemble and fire an assault rifle.

WARWICK SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ The children at Whakarongo School were taught to load and fire assault rifles.

The visit to Whakarongo School, just outside Palmerston North, was the first in a programme teaching children about leadership and weaponry.

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However Kaye says she's "pretty conservative" when it comes to guns in schools and as a "general rule" she doesn't support it.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Education Minister Nikki Kaye is getting guidelines to make it clear when it's appropriate for firearms to be in schools.

"It was drawn to my attention that there was a situation the other day where the army brought some rifles into schools and that's absolutely allowed under the law.

"I've asked whether there are any guidelines in this area and it's clear there aren't, so I've asked the Ministry of Education and NZSTA (New Zealand School Trustees Association) to work on some guidelines."

At the time of the school visit Corporal Israel McNicholl said, "kids just love the guns, you know what kids are like ... but they are not toys".

Eleven-year-old Kane O'Hara had never held a gun before and at the time said, "it felt amazing and cool".

An New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson said Whakarongo School is the only one that has been visited and the programme was "approved by the school".

"The content of any public display is always discussed with the event's host prior and a safety briefing and strict rules of interaction are given to any participants."

Green Party education spokeswoman Catherine Delahunty, who raised the issue with Kaye at select committee on Wednesday, said under no circumstances should guns have ever been in a primary school.

"Clearly it's not safe for primary school children to have an assault rifle in their hands and the other thing is, what is the educational value in teaching primary school children how to use assault rifles?"

"I suspect it's about propaganda to persuade children the Defence Force is really cool and guns are really cool. Guns are not cool and they have no place in schools," she said.

But Kaye said there was no evidence the Defence Force was at the school for "propaganda".

Labour's education spokesman Chris Hipkins had also raised concerns with Kaye about weapons in schools and said "clear guidelines to schools of how to deal with these situations in the future is an appropriate response".

"While I think the army had good motivations and intentions with what they were trying to do, it was definitely the wrong way to capture kids' imaginations," he said.

There would need to be "limited exceptions" to the guidelines, Kaye said.

"In general we don't support firearms in schools but there may be some very limited exceptions, for instance, we don't want a situation where the Armed Offenders Squad can't turn up to a school if there's a threat."

Rifle shooting was an Olympic sport and Kaye said that would also need to be a consideration in any guidelines.