"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as simple an expression.
Yet, it might be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that despite early skepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam said the tutor must be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who express these concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been educated understanding and practicing both cultures. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
