"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and skilled educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it might be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of responses have already been received since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has received attention in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that despite first scepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they did not want history to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will does not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
