"A family located in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important element of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been received since the anonymous family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the press, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
But, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have similar concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and living both cultures. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will not automatically create the outcome they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
