"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have already been received since the unnamed family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unusual character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can somehow transplant the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to live many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
