"A household residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as just figurative language.
Yet, it could be the crucial aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the press, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of first doubt, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is kind of osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the reality that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
