"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most significant part of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the press, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of first scepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said he. "They realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the attributes of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
