"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained notice throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of first scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
He explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety 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 minds, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", replied Adam. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken 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.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who express those concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will not instantly achieve the result they want.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
