"A family based in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest across the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who express these reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been educated understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will not automatically create the outcome they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
