"Parents based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it might be the most important part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest in the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, 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 stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told Adam they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", answered he. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
