"A family located in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest throughout the media, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who share those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been educated understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
