"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of responses have now been received since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they did not want history to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
He said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who express these concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, 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."
The expert wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can in some way transplant the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
