"A family residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been received since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can possibly transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
