"Parents based in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally miss the phrase "initial stages" as just figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained notice throughout the news, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety 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, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered Adam. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have those reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
