"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally miss the term "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unique job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have already been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained notice across the news, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding initial doubt, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He explained the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
However, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", said the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
