"A family based in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
However, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a infant.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice in the press, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who share these doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not automatically produce the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
