"A household based in North London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", said he. "The family realize this may not work, 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 price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who express those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
