"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it might be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have since been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted interest in the press, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
He said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been educated understanding and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
