"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily skip the term "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received attention in the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite first doubt, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share those doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will not instantly achieve the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
