"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as mere figurative language.
However, it might be the most important part of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained interest across the press, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that despite early skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they did not want history to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who have those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter explained that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically UK tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
