"A family located in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest across the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of early doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want history to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to instil.
He said the tutor must be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express those reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
