"A household based in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most important aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the press, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", said he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who share similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
