"A family residing in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has received interest across the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that despite initial doubt, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from infancy will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
