"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has received attention in the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who share these concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been educated experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
