"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite early skepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, seems to me naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
