"A family based in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that despite initial doubt, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is kind of osmotic," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
Adam said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "They know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who have similar reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
