"A household located in North London is looking for an remarkable and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important aspect of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the press, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
