"A family residing in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the news, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first doubt, he found the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unusual nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor must be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken 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.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share similar reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
