"Parents based in north London wants to find an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to him they did not want history to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired 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 approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", said he. "They know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
