Educating a Baby to Develop into an 'British Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Cost?

Child education concept
The organization responsible for the listing states that what looks like "luxury or oddity" is truly "purposeful investment in early-stage learning".

"Parents located in north London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as mere an expression.

But, it might be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.

Hundreds of submissions have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the press, with many asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.

However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".

What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".

He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.

The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.

Tutoring discussion
The tutoring agency state the listing has initiated a broader discussion about how parents view education, elitism and the part of home and culture in development.

Natural Absorption

"Much of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.

It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to cultivate.

Adam said the tutor had to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Money No Object

The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.

More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and open doors.

"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.

However, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?

"Absolutely", replied he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the education sector who share similar doubts.

Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."

Peter explained that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.

Peter Cui portrait
The educator was the pioneer originating from China to be selected to the post of Treasurer of the Cambridge Union.

"The idea that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.

"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the goal they hope for.

"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."

He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Certainly, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.

"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating

Brandi Green
Brandi Green

A UK-based journalist and blogger with over a decade of experience covering lifestyle and current affairs.