"A family residing in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has received attention across the news, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get 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 predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
Adam said the tutor had to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow transplant the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
