"Parents based in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily skip the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the media, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they want to instil.
Adam said the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", said Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who share similar concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not necessarily achieve the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
