"A family residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily skip the wording "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most important aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest throughout the media, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite first scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual 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 held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can function as a representation of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will not automatically achieve the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
