Educating an Infant to Become an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Cost?
"A family based in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as mere an expression.
Yet, it might be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest across the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite first scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can act as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating