"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice in the press, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite initial doubt, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then become established".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," stated the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to cultivate.
He explained the tutor must be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who express those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not instantly create the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
