"Parents residing in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument 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 achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the goal they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
