"Parents located in north London wants to find an exceptional and skilled educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the press, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite early scepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to cultivate.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically UK tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
