"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and skilled educator to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it may be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received attention throughout the press, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite first skepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor 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 commented.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically British tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
