"A family based in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily skip the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice across the press, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
