"A household residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated 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 conditioning had by then taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a typically English tutor from infancy will does not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
