"Parents located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have similar reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not automatically create the result they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
