Tutoring an Infant to Become an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Investment?
"Parents residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained attention across the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical nature of their request, 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 postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore 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 around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating