"A household located in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Many of submissions have since been received since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received interest in the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite first doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who express those doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
