"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been received since the unidentified family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained interest in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to him they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
He noted the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training 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 learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", said Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
