"Parents residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
