"A household based in north London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
But, it may be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite early scepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express those concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can act as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
