"A family residing in north London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to support their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
However, it might be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the press, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "They know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who express similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up understanding and living both cultures. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
