"A family located in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily skip the term "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
