Educating a Baby to Become an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Money?

"A family residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."

Looking at this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.

However, it may be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.

Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the advert has gained attention in the press, with numerous wondering why?

Innovative Idea

The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".

When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.

Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".

But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?

It's "comprehensive", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".

He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on 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 should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.

It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to instil.

He said the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.

Cost Not Relevant

The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's view, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.

Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?

"Yes", said Adam. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.

Overly Optimistic

A number of in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.

Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.

"The idea that a single person can act as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.

"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the result they want.

"I never had such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."

He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Purchasing UK Culture

Certainly, English culture is something the expert 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