"A household residing in north London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to instil.
Adam explained the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who share similar concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can act as a representation of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
