"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily skip the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have since been submitted since the anonymous family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, 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 selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted 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 around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily produce the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
