"A household based in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the crucial element of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have now been received since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he found the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.
Adam said the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "They realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who express these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
