"A family residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received attention across the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their demand, 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 postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said he. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
