"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been submitted since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid history to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
Adam said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "They know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
