"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest in the news, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", said he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically achieve the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
