"A family located in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the press, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is kind of osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", said Adam. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share similar concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically UK tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
