"A family located in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that despite early doubt, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is rather osmotic," stated the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to instil.
He noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed him the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express those concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of English culture, a person who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live several of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
