"A family located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received attention throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," said the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have similar concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
