"A family based in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the press, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes 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 grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
