"A family located in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention across the media, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early doubt, he considered the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
