"A household located in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most significant element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the news, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", said he. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can act as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily create the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
