"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the press, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature 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 conditioning had already taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their infant.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share those concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
