"A family residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily skip the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the media, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they aim to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who have similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can act as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
