"A household based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have since been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received attention across the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of early skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not automatically achieve the goal they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
