"A household located in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily miss the wording "beginning" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They know this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not automatically achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
