🔗 Share this article

"A family based in north London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."

Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.

However, it could be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.

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

In recent few weeks, the listing has received interest in the press, with numerous questioning why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that despite early scepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".

When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.

However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".

What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?

It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".

He stated the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.

The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.

Subtle Influence

"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.

It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.

He explained the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.

Money No Object

The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.

"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.

But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?

"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.

Overly Optimistic

A number of in the private teaching field who share these doubts.

An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."

The expert wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.

"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.

"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will not instantly achieve the result they want.

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

He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Of course, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.

"I think the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating