"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have since been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the press, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that in spite of initial doubt, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told Adam they did not want history to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
