"A household based in north London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn 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 this pattern to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been educated knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will will not instantly achieve the result they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
