"A household located in north London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as simple an expression.
However, it may be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been received since the unidentified family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the press, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, 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 firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can possibly impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
