"A family based in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere an expression.
However, it might be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice in the press, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first doubt, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will not necessarily achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
