"A family based in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily skip the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the most important aspect of this unique employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have now been received since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said he. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can act as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
