Tutoring an Infant to Grow into an 'English Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Investment?

"A family located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."

When reading this post, you might readily skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.

Yet, it may be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.

Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention throughout the press, with many questioning why?

Progressive Approach

The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "advanced".

When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their demand, and how young their son is.

But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".

What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".

He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.

The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained Adam.

It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.

He explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Money No Object

The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.

"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.

But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?

"Yes", answered he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

A number of in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.

Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."

Peter explained that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.

"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the outcome they want.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live many of the experiences they desire for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Acquiring Englishness

Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.

"In my view the fact that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating