"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily miss the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the most important element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have already been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that in spite of early doubt, he found the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they want to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not automatically produce the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
