"A household located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it may be the crucial element of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted attention across the media, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they did not want history to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up knowing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
