"Parents located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", said Adam. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
