"A family located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it might be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
He said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", said he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who express these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly English tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
