"A family located in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest in the news, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they want to instil.
He noted the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have similar concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
