"A family residing in north London is looking for an remarkable and skilled tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most important element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained attention across the press, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding first doubt, he found the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the start here is rather osmotic," said the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
