"A family residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a infant.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained interest in the news, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent history to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not instantly create the result they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
