"Parents located in north London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
However, it might be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have since been sent in since the anonymous family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained attention across the media, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who studied at "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 performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", replied Adam. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who express similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly English tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
