"A household residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first doubt, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor must be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can act as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
