"A household residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere an expression.
Yet, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family know this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living dual heritages. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a typically British tutor from infancy will does not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
