"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial part of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice in the press, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite early scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have these reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised understanding and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
