"Parents located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early doubt, he found the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent history to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family know this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express those concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying both cultures. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
