"A household residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite first skepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unusual nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.
Adam noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who express similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not instantly create the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
