"A household residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified educator to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the news, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of early doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily produce the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
