"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite early skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety 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 minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "They know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who have these reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
