"A household residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily miss the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received notice in the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically British tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
