"A household residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most important part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a infant.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the unidentified family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice across the news, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped 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 minds, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will not instantly produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
