"A household located in north London seeks an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained 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 stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want history to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor must be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will not instantly produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
