"A family residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the crucial aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the news, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated 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 stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who have those concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can possibly transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically English tutor from babyhood will will not automatically create the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
