"A family residing in North London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to support their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it might be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have since been received since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the media, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to impart.
Adam said the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
