"A family residing in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the term "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice across the news, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional nature of their request, and how immature 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 age "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who share those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the qualities of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
