🔗 Share this article

"Parents based in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."

When reading this post, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.

But, it could be the most significant element of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.

Many of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".

During the past few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the media, with several questioning why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite early skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".

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

However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".

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

It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".

He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their new baby.

The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"A lot of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.

It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to instil.

He said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

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

Money No Object

The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.

Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.

"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.

Yet, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?

"Yes", said he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.

Impractical

There are some in the private teaching field who have these doubts.

Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.

"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily create the outcome they want.

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

He added: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Acquiring Englishness

Naturally, English culture is something the expert hopes can be taught – and marketed.

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