🔗 Share this article

"A family located in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."

When reading this post, you might readily miss the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.

But, it may be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a infant.

Hundreds of submissions have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".

In recent few weeks, the advert has gained attention in the media, with several wondering why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the plan "visionary", and "progressive".

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

However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".

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

It's "everything", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".

He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.

The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.

Subtle Influence

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

It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.

Adam explained the tutor must be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.

Expense Not a Factor

The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.

Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.

Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?

"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.

Impractical

A number of in the education sector who have these doubts.

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."

Peter noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at Cambridge University.

"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.

"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the result they desire.

"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."

He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

Of course, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.

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