"Parents residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to support their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest throughout the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who share these doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
