"Parents based in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can function as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a typically UK tutor from infancy will does not automatically achieve the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
