"A family residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the term "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been received since the unnamed family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the media, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is rather osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", said Adam. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
