"Parents based in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled instructor to support their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily skip the phrase "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the most significant part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument 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 accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a representation of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the outcome they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
