"Parents based in North London wants to find an exceptional and experienced instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally miss the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they stated 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 already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they aim to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been raised understanding and living dual heritages. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the result they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
