"A household located in north London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite first doubt, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living dual heritages. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can act as a representation of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
