Coaching a Toddler to Develop into an 'English Gentleman' – Is It Worth the Money?

"A household based in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."

Looking at this advertisement, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.

Yet, it might be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a one-year-old.

Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the press, with numerous asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that despite first doubt, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.

But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".

What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".

He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.

The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.

Natural Absorption

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

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

The consultant said the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

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

Money No Object

The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

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

In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.

"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.

Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?

"Absolutely", said Adam. "They understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.

Overly Optimistic

A number of in the private teaching field who share those reservations.

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."

He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.

"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not instantly produce the result they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."

He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

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

"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating