"A household residing in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
Yet, it might be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that in spite of early doubt, he found the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning 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 lead to success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "They know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the attributes of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
