"Parents located in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the phrase "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained attention across the press, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily achieve the outcome they want.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
