"Parents located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily miss the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been received since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to him they did not want history to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to instil.
He said the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "English culture", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He explained that he had moved from China to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the reality that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
