Coaching a Baby to Become an 'English Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Investment?
"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the wording "beginning" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most significant element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice in the press, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said Adam. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and practicing both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will does not instantly achieve the outcome they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating