"A family based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a infant.
Many of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention across the news, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite first doubt, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed him they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share these doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
