"A household residing in North London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it might be the most significant part of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a infant.
Many of applications have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, said that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically achieve the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
