"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
However, it might be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted attention across the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share these reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
