"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the media, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can act as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily create the result they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
