"A family based in North London wants to find an remarkable and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been submitted since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted interest in the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite initial doubt, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they did not want the same situation to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", replied Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who express those concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
