"A family based in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it aims to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not automatically produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
