"A family based in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have since 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 advert has attracted attention in the news, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
