"Parents based in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the media, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who have similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
