"A household located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained interest across the press, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that despite initial scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who have these reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
