"A family based in north London is looking for an remarkable and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the phrase "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the media, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that in spite of early skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified 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 stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will will not automatically achieve the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
