Educating a Baby to Grow into an 'British Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Cost?
"A household based in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial part of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have now been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest in the media, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding first scepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically create the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating