"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest across the press, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor must be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying dual heritages. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will not automatically achieve the goal they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
