"Parents residing in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite first skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
But, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents know this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
