"Parents residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that despite initial skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they want to instil.
He said the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
