"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced instructor to support their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the crucial aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the unnamed family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice in the press, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite first skepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated 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 age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a representation of Britishness, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
