"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified educator to assist their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained interest throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early doubt, he found the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," explained the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who express similar concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly produce the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
