Educating an Infant to Become an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Investment?
"Parents based in north London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained interest across the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite first doubt, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the start here is rather osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will will not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
