"A household residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the media, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that despite initial scepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
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 "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can act as a representation of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a typically UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
