"A household based in north London seeks an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that despite early doubt, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed him they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and living both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
