"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the crucial element of this unique position posting, as it aims to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the anonymous family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice in the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that in spite of initial doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early 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 share these concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
