"A household residing in north London wants to find an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has received interest in the news, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", said he. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express those concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
