"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
However, it could be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
