"A household located in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally miss the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the crucial element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of submissions have now been received since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite first doubt, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically English tutor from infancy will does not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
