"A household located in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention across the news, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding early scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told him they did not want history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
