"A household based in North London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest in the news, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then become established".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "They know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically UK tutor from infancy will does not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
