"A household residing in North London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest across the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite first doubt, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told him they did not want the same situation to recur with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
