"Parents located in north London wants to find an remarkable and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the news, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
He noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly transplant the attributes of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the expert thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
