"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique position posting, as it seeks 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 highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the news, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite first doubt, he found the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
He explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", answered he. "The family know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the result they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating