"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to find a teacher for a infant.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding first doubt, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to instil.
Adam explained the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, 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 interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
