"Parents residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the press, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite first skepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid history to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to instil.
He said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have those concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
