"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily skip the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the most significant element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way 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 ways. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily create the goal they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
