"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "beginning" as mere an expression.
However, it could be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the news, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated 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 conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express those concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the goal they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
