"A household located in north London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told him they did not want history to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will not necessarily achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
