"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced instructor to support their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature 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 older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they did not want history to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "They know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who have similar concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can function as a representation of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a typically English tutor from infancy will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
