"Parents based in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest across the news, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "They know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share these doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly transplant the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not necessarily produce the outcome they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
