"A family based in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally miss the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the news, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated 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 stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
Adam said the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can somehow transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a typically English tutor from early childhood will not instantly produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
