"A household based in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the phrase "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received attention in the news, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite initial scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then become established".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed him they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety 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 result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express similar concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
