"A household located in North London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the news, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope 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 explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly achieve the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
