"A family residing in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the news, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a British 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 somewhat osmotic," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who express similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the attributes of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
