"A family based in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
He explained the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
