"A family based in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest across the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite early scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a representation of UK identity, someone who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the outcome they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
