"A family based in North London is looking for an remarkable and skilled tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the term "beginning" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have since been received since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the press, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The manner 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 norms. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
Adam said the tutor had to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
However, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have similar reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a representation of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the outcome they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
