"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important element of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to hire a mentor for a infant.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the news, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first scepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family know this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can act as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
