"A household located in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally overlook the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been received since the unnamed family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite early doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated 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 conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", said Adam. "They understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He explained that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
