"A household based in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to support their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of responses have now been received since the unidentified family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated 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 hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can possibly transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
