"A household located in North London seeks an exceptional and skilled educator to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as mere an expression.
Yet, it might be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice in 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, stated that notwithstanding first doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share these doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the qualities of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
