"Parents residing in north London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the most important element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the news, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, said that in spite of initial doubt, he considered the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, 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 stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they wish to instil.
He noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
