"A household located in north London seeks an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the wording "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been received since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest across the media, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said Adam. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view 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 said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will not necessarily create the result they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
