Educating an Infant to Develop into an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Cost?

Child education concept
The company behind the listing claims that what seems like "extravagance or oddity" is in fact "deliberate investment in early-stage instruction".

"A household located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."

When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple an expression.

Yet, it could be the crucial element of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".

In recent few weeks, the advert has gained attention in the news, with numerous asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that despite early skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "advanced".

When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.

But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".

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

It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".

He stated the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their infant.

The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.

Tutoring discussion
The tutoring agency say the advert has started a broader debate about how households regard education, privilege and the part of home and culture in education.

Natural Absorption

"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.

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

The consultant noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.

Expense Not a Factor

The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.

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

In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.

"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.

However, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?

"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They understand 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 cost of it is not relevant," he explained.

Impractical

A number of in the education sector who express similar doubts.

An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."

The expert explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.

Peter Cui portrait
Peter Cui was the first person born in mainland China to be selected to the position of Finance Head of the university debating society.

"The notion that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.

"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will does not necessarily produce the goal they want.

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

He stated: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.

"In my view the situation that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating

Paul Williams
Paul Williams

A tech journalist and innovation strategist with over a decade of experience covering Canadian startups and digital policy.