"A family residing in North London seeks an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily miss the phrase "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the crucial part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received interest in the press, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
