"A household residing in north London is looking for an remarkable and skilled educator to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
However, it may be the most important element of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then become established".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who express those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and practicing both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can act as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can possibly impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
