"A household residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the media, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who express those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically English tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the reality that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
