"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled educator to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally miss the wording "beginning" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained notice throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age 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 stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", said he. "They know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the result they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
