"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the term "initial stages" as mere an expression.
However, it might be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unnamed family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received notice across the press, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that in spite of initial skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to impart.
Adam said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, 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 preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", replied he. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
