"A household residing in north London wants to find an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally miss the wording "initial stages" as mere an expression.
Yet, it might be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention throughout the news, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses 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 grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share these doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
