"A family located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it could be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted attention across the news, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat osmotic," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
