"A family based in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most significant aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have now been received since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied he. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
