"A family based in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily skip the term "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite first doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who have those concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically English tutor from infancy will does not necessarily create the goal they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
