"Parents located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest in the news, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite first scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unusual nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
