"A family residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most significant aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted attention throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unusual nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said he. "They understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who have those doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
