Educating an Infant to Develop into an 'English Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Investment?

Child education concept
The organization responsible for the advertisement states that what seems like "luxury or peculiarity" is actually "deliberate commitment in early-stage instruction".

"A household located in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."

When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "beginning" as mere an expression.

Yet, it might be the most significant part of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.

Many of responses have since been submitted since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the post has received interest across the press, with many wondering why?

Innovative Idea

The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "progressive".

When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their request, and how young their son is.

But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".

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

It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".

He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.

The intention: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.

Tutoring discussion
The tutoring agency state the advert has started a broader discussion about how parents view education, privilege and the role of cultural environment in development.

Natural Absorption

"A lot of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," stated the CEO.

It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.

He noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.

Money No Object

The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.

Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.

"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.

However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?

"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.

Impractical

There are some in the private teaching field who share those doubts.

Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."

The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.

Peter Cui portrait
The educator was the pioneer hailing from the People's Republic of China to be elected to the post of Financial Officer of the Cambridge Union.

"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.

"In my experience, engaging a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the goal they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the situations they hope for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Naturally, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and commercialized.

"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating

Shirley Parks
Shirley Parks

Lena Voss ist eine erfahrene Journalistin und Kulturbloggerin, die seit über einem Jahrzehnt über gesellschaftliche Trends und kulturelle Entwicklungen schreibt.

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