"A household located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most significant part of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been submitted since the unnamed family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the news, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding early skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to instil.
He said the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
