Educating a Toddler to Become an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Money?
"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and experienced educator to support their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it may be the most significant element of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have since been received since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest across the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of early doubt, he found the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
