"A family based in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice across the press, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically English tutor from early childhood will will not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
