Coaching a Toddler to Develop into an 'English Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Money?

"A household based in north London wants to find an remarkable and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.

But, it might be the most important element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.

Numerous of applications have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the post has gained interest in the press, with many wondering why?

Progressive Approach

The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of first doubt, he found the concept "visionary", and "progressive".

When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.

But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then become established".

But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?

It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".

He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want history to recur with their new baby.

The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.

Natural Absorption

"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.

It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.

The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The educator simply needs to 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 told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.

Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.

"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.

But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?

"Certainly", answered the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.

Impractical

There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar concerns.

Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."

The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.

"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.

"In my experience, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the result they desire.

"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."

He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.

"I believe the reality that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating