"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the term "beginning" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the most significant element of this unique job advert, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received attention across the news, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite first skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to him they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – 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 doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses 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 perspective, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", said he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
