"A family residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated 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 point "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – 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 doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied he. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam believes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
