"Parents located in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified tutor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important element of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who express those concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from China to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily produce the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
