"Parents residing in North London seeks an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
However, it could be the most important element of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the news, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that despite initial doubt, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to recur with their infant.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam said the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not instantly achieve the goal they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
