Educating a Baby to Develop into an 'British Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Cost?

"Parents located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."

When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.

But, it could be the crucial element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".

Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the press, with numerous asking why?

Innovative Idea

A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".

When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.

However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".

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

It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "How you eat, how you speak".

He stated the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.

The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.

Natural Absorption

"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.

It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.

He explained the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.

Cost Not Relevant

The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.

"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.

But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?

"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.

Overly Optimistic

A number of in the private teaching field who express these reservations.

An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."

The expert explained that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.

"The idea that an individual can function as a representation of English culture, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.

"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not automatically produce the result they desire.

"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

Certainly, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.

"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating