"Parents located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received notice in the media, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that in spite of initial doubt, he considered the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam noted the tutor must be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied he. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can act as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
