"A family based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the media, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite early doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
He noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express those concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
