"Parents residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the wording "beginning" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the anonymous family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained interest throughout the press, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unconventional 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 held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who express similar reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He wrote that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can act as a representation of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly English tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
