"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that despite initial skepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents know this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who express similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
