"Parents residing in north London seeks an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily skip the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who have these concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating