"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received attention throughout the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses 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, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The family know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who express similar concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can act as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
