"Parents based in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it might be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained attention in the press, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite first scepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unusual character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will will not automatically create the result they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
