"A family based in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most significant aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention in the news, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
