"A family residing in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have already been received since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention across the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that despite first doubt, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who express similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised knowing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a typically British tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
