"A family located in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most significant element of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the media, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will does not automatically achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
