Coaching a Toddler to Grow into an 'English Gentleman' – Does It Justify the Money?

Child education concept
The firm behind the advert states that what looks like "extravagance or peculiarity" is truly "purposeful investment in early instruction".

"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."

Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.

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

Many of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".

In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the press, with several asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that despite first doubt, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".

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

But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then set in".

But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?

It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".

He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to recur with their new baby.

The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.

Tutoring discussion
Tutors International say the advert has started a larger discussion about how parents perceive education, privilege and the role of home and culture in learning.

Subtle Influence

"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," explained Adam.

It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.

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

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

Expense Not a Factor

The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.

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

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

"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.

But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?

"Yes", answered he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.

Impractical

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

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."

The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.

Peter Cui portrait
The educator was the first individual originating from China to be chosen to the role of Financial Officer of the university debating society.

"The notion that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he wrote.

"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will not automatically produce the goal they desire.

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

He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Buying Britishness

Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and commercialized.

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

Christine Pruitt MD
Christine Pruitt MD

A certified life coach and vision board expert who helps individuals manifest their dreams through creative visualization techniques.