"A family residing in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have now been received since the anonymous family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor must be somebody 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 appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who have these reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can somehow impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically English tutor from early childhood will not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
