"Parents located in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it could be the most important part of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite early scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, and how immature 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 point "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
