"A household located in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it might be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who express similar concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can function as a representation of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
