"A family located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, stated that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the qualities of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not automatically produce the goal they hope for.
"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 truth is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
