"A family residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as mere an expression.
Yet, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the press, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite early doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to him they wished to avoid history to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam believes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
