"A family residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified educator to support their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily skip the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the news, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite initial doubt, he considered the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can function as a representation of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
