Educating a Baby to Grow into an 'English Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Money?

"A family based in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."

Looking at this listing, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.

But, it might be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.

Many of submissions have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained attention throughout the press, with several asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite first skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".

When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.

Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".

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

It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".

He said the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.

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

Osmotic Learning

"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.

It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.

Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

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

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

However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by anyway?

"Absolutely", replied he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the education sector who have those concerns.

Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

He wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.

"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.

"In my experience, employing a typically UK tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the result they want.

"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Purchasing UK Culture

Certainly, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and sold.

"I think the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating