A sledgehammer for a walnut: why the DCSF is wrong on under-14s on factual TV

By Bill Dewison

Factual television programmes played a huge role in getting me interested in key subjects such as science and history. In my youth I remember watching Johnny Ball on the television and maths suddenly became interesting. Newsround gave me an interest in world events and made me want to learn more. But now the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have come up with something that could change the face of children’s television with what I percieve as unnecessary legislation.

The proposed legislation involves the banning of children under the age of 14 years old from taking part in factual programmes on television. It comes about because of a programme on Channel 4 titled Boys and Girls Alone which featured 20 school children under the age of 14 years old being left alone for a fortnight and the filming of the chaos that followed.

Child psychologist, Melanie Gill, complained strongly against this programme saying:

“it takes it too far, it’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We think that children under 14 should be allowed to be on television, as long as it’s done in a psychologically safe environment.”

Few would disagree with that, but the ill-thought out plans by the DCSF to tackle the problem is like taking a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.

The oddest element of the legislation allows children under 14 to take part in shows that feature dancing, singing and drama, but surely this would allow children to be involved in talent shows and as we’ve seen in recent months, they can be as psychologically damaging as the failed experiment that began the push for this legislation in the first place.

While children will be allowed to essentially sing for their supper in front of Simon Cowell, the law will prevent them from taking part in Newsround, it will restrict programmes like Blue Peter and many other children’s programmes that have entertained and arguably helped educate generations of children. It would make programmes similar to the ones I watched with the entertaining educator Johnny Ball impossible because a large part of these types of programmes is getting children involved directly.

The BBC are not best pleased with this planned legislation but neither are some of the pressure groups who do want stronger regulations within the television industry – they, too, think the proposed law is going too far.

The DCSF claims they want to enable “children to take full advantage of the opportunities television and other forms of entertainment can offer in a safe and sensible way” but in my view and the view of many in the television industry they are going overboard and reacting too harshly to a problem that needs to be tackled, but in a manner which doesn’t end up with a bureacratic mess that would see an end to what I perceive as some of the most valuable children’s entertainment on offer.

I hope the government see sense before this becomes law, but in the meantime I am searching for videos and DVDs of programmes similar to Johnny Ball Reveals All so that my children will always have the opportunity to learn and be inspired in the same way I was as a child.