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

Child education concept
The company behind the advert states that what looks like "luxury or peculiarity" is in fact "intentional investment in early-stage education".

"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."

When reading this advertisement, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as mere an expression.

But, it might be the most significant part of this unique position posting, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.

Many of applications have now been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the media, with several asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of initial doubt, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".

When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.

But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".

What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?

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

He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.

The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.

Tutoring discussion
The education firm state the advert has started a broader discussion about how parents perceive education, elitism and the role of family background in education.

Natural Absorption

"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.

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

The consultant said the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.

Money No Object

The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.

Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.

"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.

However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?

"Yes", said Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

Several in the education sector who have those reservations.

Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

Peter explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.

Peter Cui portrait
Peter Cui was the pioneer originating from the People's Republic of China to be chosen to the role of Financial Officer of the university debating society.

"The notion that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he commented.

"In my experience, having a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the goal they desire.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."

He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.

"I think the situation that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating

Mary Novak
Mary Novak

A digital archivist and tech historian with over a decade of experience in preserving and analyzing digital artifacts.