"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the media, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to recur with their infant.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the selected educator 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 wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can in some way impart the qualities of a English gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
