"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and experienced tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the most important element of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received attention in the press, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of first scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the atypical character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly English tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
