🔗 Share this article

"A family residing in north London wants to find an remarkable and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.

However, it might be the most significant aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.

Many of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

During the past few weeks, the post has received attention across the news, with several wondering why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".

When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.

However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".

But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".

He said the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to happen again with their younger child.

The intention: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the expert.

It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.

The consultant 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 educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.

Cost Not Relevant

The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training 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 "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.

"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.

However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?

"Certainly", said Adam. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.

Overly Optimistic

There are some in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.

Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."

Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.

"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily produce the goal they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."

He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.

"I believe the fact that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating