"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily overlook the term "beginning" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the most important part of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention throughout the news, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He wrote that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
