"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial part of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have now been sent in since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained notice across the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite early skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can in some way transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
