"Parents based in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been sent in since the anonymous family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unconventional aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
He noted the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
