"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced instructor to guide their most junior child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received attention in the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family told him the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register 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 view, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share similar concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
