"A household located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it might be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received interest in the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding initial doubt, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed him they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
