"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most significant element of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The parents know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the goal they want.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
