"A family based in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
However, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a teacher for a infant.
Many of responses have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted interest throughout the news, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite first scepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living both cultures. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
