"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention across the media, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types 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, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", said he. "The family know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who have these reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been educated understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
