"A family based in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it might be the most important part of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the news, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial skepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses 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 view, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically UK tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
