"A household located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it may be the most significant aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted notice in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have similar concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from infancy will will not necessarily create the result they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
