"A family located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and skilled educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have now been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the news, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of first scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
He noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can function as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
