Tutoring an Infant to Develop into an 'British Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Investment?

"Parents residing in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."

When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.

Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".

In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the news, with several asking why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".

When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how young their son is.

But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".

What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?

It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".

He stated the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.

The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.

Subtle Influence

"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.

It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.

The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.

More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".

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

"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.

Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?

"Yes", answered he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.

Impractical

There are some in the education sector who have these reservations.

Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."

The expert wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.

"In my experience, having a typically British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the result they hope for.

"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they desire for their son."

He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Acquiring Englishness

Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be educated – and commercialized.

"In my view the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating