"A household based in north London wants to find an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained attention across the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who express those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
