"A family located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been received since the unnamed family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the media, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first doubt, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have those concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
