"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the news, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then set in".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will does not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
