"A household located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the news, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons 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 minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
