"Parents residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily miss the term "beginning" as mere an expression.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding initial doubt, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, 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 set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
