"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and skilled educator to support their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as mere an expression.
Yet, it may be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has received notice in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor must be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who have similar concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
