"A household located in north London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
But, it could be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it aims to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the news, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – 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 doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been brought up understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me naive and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the international society views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
