Tutoring a Baby to Develop into an 'English Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Investment?
"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained attention across the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial scepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share similar concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating