"A family residing in north London is looking for an remarkable and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding early skepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
