Educating a Baby to Become an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Investment?
"A household residing in North London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most significant part of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received attention throughout the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds 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 may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been educated understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
