"A family residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial part of this unusual job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received attention across the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that despite first skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam said the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who have these reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
