"A family based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained attention in the news, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "They realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who share those reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can in some way impart the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
