"A family located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has received notice across the media, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite initial doubt, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "They know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
