"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained interest in the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone 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 set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to instil.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
