"A family located in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
But, it might be the most significant element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite early skepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the outset here is kind of osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
He explained the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", answered he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
