"A family based in North London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant part of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received attention in the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite early skepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who have those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
