Educating a Baby to Grow into an 'British Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Investment?

Child education concept
The organization behind the listing states that what seems like "luxury or peculiarity" is in fact "deliberate commitment in initial instruction".

"Parents located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."

Looking at this listing, you might naturally miss the phrase "beginning" as simple figurative language.

However, it could be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of applications have since been received since the unnamed family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".

Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice across the news, with numerous asking why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite initial doubt, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".

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

But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".

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

It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".

He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their younger child.

The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.

Tutoring discussion
Tutors International state the listing has initiated a wider discussion about how families view education, privilege and the part of cultural environment in learning.

Subtle Influence

"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.

It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.

Adam said the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.

Money No Object

The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.

Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

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

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

However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?

"Yes", said the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

A number of in the tutoring industry who have those doubts.

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

Peter explained that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.

Peter Cui portrait
The executive was the pioneer originating from the People's Republic of China to be selected to the position of Finance Head of the Cambridge Union Society.

"The concept that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.

"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the goal they desire.

"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."

He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."

Acquiring Englishness

Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and sold.

"I think the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating

Samantha Thomas
Samantha Thomas

Tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in emerging technologies and innovation leadership.