"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the term "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest in the news, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that despite early skepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories 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 explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
However, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who express those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
