"Parents residing in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has received interest throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that despite first doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, having a typically UK tutor from early childhood will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
