"A family located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of responses have since been received since the unidentified family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified 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 bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who express similar concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
