"A family residing in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the phrase "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest across the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite first doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they wish to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been educated understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
