"Parents located in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced tutor to guide their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received attention across the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite early scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual nature of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who have these concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had moved from China to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can function as a representation of English culture, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
