"A family located in north London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite early skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who have similar reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the goal they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
