"A household residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled educator to guide their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention in the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share those concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
