"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the term "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that despite first skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
Adam noted the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He noted that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they want.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
