"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled educator to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have since been received since the unnamed family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice in the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the start here is rather osmotic," said Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced 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 stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
