"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally miss the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it might be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the press, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that despite early skepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
