"A household located in north London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily miss the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the crucial aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been received since the unnamed family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received attention in the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who express these reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
