Officials have said that students in Mexico City and other locations are being taught to deal with gang violence rampant throughout Mexico.

The Arizona Republic reported on Thursday that at least nine shooting incidents have occurred in Mexican school areas since October. The military battled drug gang gunmen for an hour June 15 60 feet away from a preschool in Taxco.

The Republic further reported that a number of Mexican states have begun to require shootout drills and will teach drill methods during summer teacher-training courses.

Juan Gallardo, director of school safety in the state of Tamaulipas, said, "We're in a situation like nothing we've ever lived through before, and we need to make sure the children are safe."

According top the newspaper Reforma, drug-related violence has increased since President Felipe Calderon began a military crackdown on the cartels in 2006. So far this year, there have been 5,775 drug-related killings, up from 2,275 in 2007.

The newspaper also said that new instructions tell teachers to bring all students indoors, lock classroom doors and keep children away from windows. Children are instructed to lie on the floor and cover their heads with their hands to guard themselves from flying glass or concrete chips.

It was also noted by the Republic that most important, students should not take pictures or video of the shootout.

Erika Arciniega, director of crime prevention with the Guerrero state police, said, "The first thing the kids want to do is take pictures to post on their social networks. We don't want them to become targets." (With Inputs from Agencies)