"A household located in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the media, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite first skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their infant.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share these doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they want.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
