More local educational programming wanted for children

In a world where toddlers speak with American accents before they can tie their shoelaces, media professionals in Jamaica are pushing to teach children about their roots through homegrown television.

As Jamaican children spend more time in front of screens, questions are being raised about the type of content shaping their early years. With the popularity of international shows like Ms Rachel, Cocomelon, and Bluey, many young viewers are being introduced to foreign cultures, accents, and values long before their own.

Local creators, however, are working to change that, if only the resources would follow.

Judith Alberga, content monetisation manager at Television Jamaica (TVJ), is among those championing the push for more local children’s programming. “It’s interesting that you ask about those programmes,” she said, referring to global kids’ hits. “Because we have got on our agenda some children’s programmes that we will be developing locally… that will have some Jamaican culture in it, but also just a universal kind of focus.”

LOCAL CHILDREN’S SHOWS

TVJ has already produced several local shows aimed at children, including Kids Say, created by Susan Simes of Simba Productions, and Pickney Time, produced by Jennifer ‘Jenny Jenny’ Small. Alberga also recalled past efforts like Star Apple Kids Club, a show that highlighted high-achieving Jamaican children.

“In it, we had a little animation called Ackee Walk,” she said, referring to another Jamaican-made and produced children’s television series focused on building the child’s self-esteem and cultural awareness. “We are making an effort to do programmes such as these, but it’s also down to sponsors coming on board.”

That lack of consistent sponsorship appears to be the biggest hurdle.

“It’s not that we don’t want to do it… . We have several projects awaiting approval,” Alberga said. “It’s just a matter of sponsors coming on board and paying for these programmes. The company answers to shareholders. It has to bring in some sort of revenue.”

She stressed that it isn’t for lack of ideas.

“We’ve got so many stories to tell for children; ring games, Anancy stories, the things that JCDC (Jamaica Cultural Development Commission) puts out every year… . We haven’t got a shortage of what we can do for children.”

But budget constraints keep many of these ideas on the shelf.

“You have to have some sort of money behind it,” she added.

Simes, creator of the 14-year-old Kids Say, agrees. Her show thrives by letting Jamaican children express themselves, often around national holidays or cultural themes. “Schools learn a lot from each episode,” she said. “Because it’s based on morals and values and good old Jamaican culture. The proverbs, the dances and the old times, whenever it comes to Jamaica Day or Heroes Day or Independence, we are heavily influenced around those periods.”

The result is both educational and endearing.

“We teach them values and morals and attitudes… . Even etiquette; how to use knife and fork, how to take a lady out, and all of those things.”

NO JAMAICAN SHOWS FOR TODDLERS

But while shows like Kids Say target primary school children, Simes admits there’s a noticeable gap for younger audiences.

“We don’t have any programmes now that I know of for toddlers,” she said. “Normally, we start at early childhood, which is four years old. Others might put six, or primary school age.”

By then, children are already deeply influenced by international content.

That gap matters, especially when Jamaican toddlers are learning to speak in American accents before their own.

“Lots of children are left in front of the iPad,” Alberga observed. “Where they get these accents … it’s not something that we are happy with.”

Still, Simes questions whether it’s even viable to develop shows for that age group locally.

“How much more of a culture can you teach a toddler than what they learn online now?” she asked, expressing that rather than teaching them, it would be more about reversing what they have learnt from the American culture.

“It costs you to produce a programme … and the success of a programme also depends on sponsorship. How many companies do we have here that can sponsor a programme of that nature? It would be distributors … we don’t make things for toddlers. So how would you now sell Jamaica to them or things that are Jamaican content?”

She said that with most things for toddlers being imported, a Jamaican show for toddlers would attract a high production cost.

For producers wanting to try, regardless of the current circumstances, Simes offers support.

“The first thing that I would do to encourage them is, if you need advice, I’ll give you technical advice, financial advice, and how to write a proposal; I can facilitate that.”

Meanwhile, over at JAMPRO, President Shullette Cox confirmed that support for such initiatives is growing. Through the Jamaica Screen Development Initiative (JSDI), the organisation has begun awarding contracts for local productions, including content geared towards children.

VARIETY OF PRODUCTION CHANNELS

“There are a number of different genres. Some of them are animation as well, which will appeal to children. Some of them are educational,” Cox said.

She also noted that the JSDI is not just limited to television.

“We do allow for unscripted [content], and we do allow for webisodes, and so on…things up to 20 minutes, which is really the span of attention that we’re talking about when it comes to kids.

“We’ve seen the interest and the mobilisation of the industry,” she said.

“Based on the prime minister’s Budget Debate speech, there is the potential for additional funding.”

As for advice to aspiring creatives, Cox encouraged them to stay tuned.

“Just keep in touch with JAMPRO. For the ones that didn’t apply the first time around, [they should] keep their ears close to JAMPRO to see what additional funding is coming, and what additional work can be done to support them.”

The initiative, which is being rolled out as a one-time allocation for now, has already generated strong interest from creatives across the island. JAMPRO hopes this momentum will continue and eventually lead to more consistent funding and opportunities.

“If it (content) can be endorsed by the Ministry of Education, I think that will go a very far way,” she noted. Collaborations with local broadcasters, she said, for both TV and radio will also be essential in securing airtime for children’s programmes.

Alberga also pointed to other avenues like 1Spot Media, which currently hosts TVJ’s content on demand and has the potential to be used to house content in the future. “There’s nothing specifically done for 1Spot Media yet; there may well be in the future,” she said. “We did some features for the Schools’ Challenge [Quiz] behind-the-scenes kind of thing for YouTube. But things usually that are done for the channel can be uploaded to 1Spot Media.”

Both Alberga and Simes believe Jamaica can and should do more to develop authentic content for its youngest citizens.

“We understand the culture,” Alberga emphasised. “We have Jamaican culture here, we have the Jamaican stories, Jamaican folklore, Jamaican games that we can ... play.”

Despite the financial obstacles, both ladies remain hopeful.

“We’ve got a couple shows going through right now that we’re working on,” Alberga shared. “Hopefully, we’ll see that soon. Some sponsors have come on board or expressed interest. We are exploring and developing.”

As Simes puts it, “We learn from them, and it shows that they know a lot about what we think they don’t know about.”

In a world increasingly driven by global content, the effort to ground Jamaica’s children in their own culture is not just admirable, it’s necessary.

Empowering children through local stories not only celebrates what they already understand, but also reinforces pride in who they are.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com