"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
However, it might be the most important element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted attention throughout the news, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to impart.
Adam noted the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons 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 minds, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express similar doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a typically British tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
