"A family residing in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and skilled educator to guide their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express those doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can act as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will not automatically produce the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
