"A household 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 becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention in the news, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite early doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds 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 informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share these doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
