"A household located in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained notice across the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated 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 emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow impart the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
