"Parents residing in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the media, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been educated understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, appears idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically achieve the result they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
