Educating an Infant to Become an 'English Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Cost?

Child education concept
The company responsible for the listing explains that what seems like "luxury or peculiarity" is actually "intentional investment in early learning".

"Parents located in north London seeks an exceptional and experienced tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.

However, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.

Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the media, with many wondering why?

Forward-Thinking Method

Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".

When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.

Nevertheless, they clarified 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 already set in".

What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?

It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".

He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their younger child.

The plan: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.

Tutoring discussion
Tutors International claim the post has started a broader conversation about how families regard schooling, advantage and the part of family background in education.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.

It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to instil.

Adam explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.

Cost Not Relevant

The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.

More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.

"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.

However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?

"Yes", replied he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.

Overly Optimistic

There are some in the tutoring industry who express those doubts.

Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."

The expert wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.

Peter Cui portrait
Peter Cui was the pioneer hailing from China to be chosen to the position of Financial Officer of the Cambridge Union Society.

"The concept that a single person can act as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.

"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily create the goal they want.

"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they desire for their son."

He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and sold.

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

Matthew Barnes
Matthew Barnes

Aviation journalist with over a decade of experience covering airline operations and aerospace innovations across Europe.