"A household residing in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the news, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
He noted the tutor had to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs 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 the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, 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 wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who express similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
