"Parents located in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "beginning" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", answered he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and living two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the goal they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
