"A household residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the crucial part of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have since been received since the unidentified family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained interest throughout the news, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can function as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the attributes of a English gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will does not automatically achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
