Educating a Toddler to Become an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Investment?
"A family based in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it might be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the press, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will does not necessarily produce the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
