"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a infant.
Numerous of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the news, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told Adam they wished to avoid history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of childhood, 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 embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will does not automatically achieve the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
