"Parents located in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled instructor to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest throughout the news, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, 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 point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically UK tutor from infancy will will not automatically achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
