"A family residing in North London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as just figurative language.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained notice across the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they wish to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
